Saira
by Kalira of the flames
Summary: Inuyasha and Kagome finally got together to destroy Naraku. 17 years later their teenage daughter is having problems. Her parents have been missing practically since her birth and her taiyoukai blood is threatening to take over her body.
1. Attack and the Well

I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

**-Saira-**

**Chapter One:** Attack and the Well

Saira climbed easily to the middle of the large old tree and sat there on the second lowest branch comfortably. This was her favorite spot to think, away from the noise of the awakening village. The forest was quiet with the midmorning sun shining through the slender branches.

Her Aunt Sango had told her the tree was called Goshinboku. The name sounded ancient and important on her lips. _Goshinboku_ The Tree of Ages.

She fingered the scar on its bark directly below her with her left hand. The familiar tingle of old magic rushed through her. She would have thought the feeling was her imagination but Old Kaede, the village priestess and her teacher, told her never to ignore her feelings because she was descended from powerful magic.

The tree had always held some feeling with her. Something large and important had happened here, but neither Sango, Miroku, or Kaede ever talked about it.

It just had a feeling of familiarity and kinship. It was comforting when she felt lonely, but today she was just curious and frustrated that she couldn't figure it out. She supposed she would just have to attempt to ask more questions. _If__ they would ever answer any_, she thought bitterly. Whenever the tree or the subject of her real parents came up, the family only brushed her off. She could ask Myike but he was useless and never knew anything of import to her.

She almost felt dizzy touching that ruined bark and let go, swinging down to hang off the ancient tree by her knees. She had always liked to hang upside down, it reminded her of flying. She dreamed of flying a lot, more peaceful than some of her other dreams. She shuddered at thinking of those. Suddenly her thoughts were scattered by the distant sound of crunching leaves.

"Damn," she growled out frustrated. "I thought I'd have more time before they noticed me missing."

She sat up and quickly jumped away and down from her tree brushing her long, smoky black hair away from her face, as she swiftly ran to meet the annoying personage.

The seventeen year old boy looked up suddenly, as though startled that she had heard him coming from so far away. _He shouldn't be_, she thought, amused. She liked to surprise him by sneaking up on him often enough. His blue-violet eyes caught the light, shining out; an unusual color.

But then she shouldn't think that when her own ruddy golden brown eyes shone far brighter, another token of her parentage.

She had learned from the whispered conversations of her aunt and uncle, in the long night hours when she couldn't sleep, that her mother had been a powerful miko, and her father was . . . well, some type of demon.

It explained a lot. No matter how powerful a miko, she knew she would never have this type of speed and strength without someone like that in her family.

It made her feel different. Not the good kind. The villagers respected her, but stayed their distance. They were afraid of her too bright eyes.

The boy suddenly looked down still kicking up the dirt and leaves of the forest. He had pitch black hair that he had tied back in a small tail as his father. He looked almost exactly like a younger version of the ex-monk. The boy's eyes had been watering. Something was wrong.

"Myike," she asked softly, her anger at another being so near her forest dissipating quickly. "What's going on?"

He looked up again and his eyes seemed to pierce through her. "Its father," he said quietly. "He collapsed this morning. Kaede is asking for your assistance as a healer."

Saira's heart jumped. Miroku was like her father too. Myike's voice jolted her, he had never sounded this melancholy before. He had inherited his father's joking nature and was constantly teasing her; he was her best friend. His disquiet seized her heart

"It'll be okay." she whispered, her hand on his shoulder.

"They don't know what's wrong with him. Go as fast as you can." When he looked back up she had already left. As well more agile than her peers she was also the fastest runner in the village. He really admired her.

Myike started back himself, slowly. He wasn't an overly emotional guy but his father had scared him. One minute he was himself, teasing Myike about his bad luck with the women of the village, who knew all his lines, the next he was half conscious on the floor. Although he hadn't wanted to leave his ailing father, he knew that getting Saira was important. She was getting much better at healing now as well as a miko, even if a clumsy one. She could possibly sense if it was anything unnatural.

He shuddered involuntarily. He had never seen any real magic before or met demons. Nor had he any want to. But according to his parents, demons and magic had seemed to follow them everywhere when they were young. They had been part of a group of demon slayers when they had met and married.

He smirked thinking of his woman-chasing, jovial father fighting off demons. He knew his mother had even been raised to exterminate them. Although they loved (most) of their memories, he knew he could never live that life. All he wanted was to settle down and get married, have kids. He wanted…

But he dismissed that thought quickly enough as he got to the edge of the forest and prepared himself to meet his father again.

Miroku looked at his headstrong adopted daughter in amusement. As soon as she had entered the hut she had taken over.

"More blankets and cold water!" She roared with a take charge attitude that reminded him so much of her father. Her golden eyes flashed as she had burst in moments before. Seeing that Miroku was awake and stable seemed to calm her a bit, but she still looked worried. She had insulted anyone who got in the way, using words he had never heard her speak before.

_Inherited his language too_, he smiled wryly.

"Saira, calm down. I feel fine now, I'm not sick anymore." He insisted.

"You have a high fever, and I don't want you moving out of that bed for the next week, you hear me!?"

Miroku cowered at the look in her eyes. "Sango save me!" He cried, his eyes twinkling. "Our girl's on another rampage."

Sango rolled her eyes and smacked him playfully with the cool cloth at his side. "You'll do as she says. We don't want one of her tempers!" She pushed his streaked gray black hair away from his forehead and smiled. Kaede had proclaimed it was just a fever and nothing truly serious. He would have to be in bed the next few days though to heal up since he wasn't as young as he used to be.

After the chaos died down, and the women from the village who had come to help saw that everything was under control left the family, Myike having just arrived and Miroku on orders to rest.

"I told you not to work in the fields on that rainy day. This is where it gets you Miroku." The women chided. None were as stern as Saira however. She insisted on doing all the fieldwork with Myike by themselves for the next week. "And I won't take no for an answer, Uncle!" She half shouted.

"How about one protest," asked Myike. "Why was I volunteered for this assignment?" After seeing that his father was fine, he was back to his old self. "I have business with the young ladies." He winked at Miroku.

"Myike," said Sango, before her too-understanding-in-this-situation husband, could interfere. "We can't have Saira working alone and I have to nurse your father." She smiled again. "Besides, you'll get to bond!" she said cheerfully.

"Goody…" Myike muttered into his work shirt. He had already finished his morning chores and now he got to work in the fields. _This day is just getting better by the minute, isn't it?_

"Why'd you have to mention me, Saira?" He whined for the millionth time. He wanted to see Aiko again. She was new in the village and seemed to like him. Maybe if he used a different tactic…

Saira didn't catch the customary lecherous grin on his face that meant his mind was elsewhere.

"What're you complaining about? It's not like you've done much or even need to." It had only been fifteen minutes and her half of the southerly field was nearly all planted. "Besides we need to 'bond'." she smiled showing her sharper than normal canines. "We never hang out like we used to, not since you've been hanging around the village girls. I kind of miss it, y'know? Myike? _MYIKE_?!"

Myike was painfully brought out of his fantasy upside the head and into the dirt. "Oooowwww!"

"I don't like it when people aren't listening to me." She said sweetly pulling back her hand.

He grimaced. "You didn't have to hit me that hard. It didn't tickle you know." He said irritably, brushing himself off and rubbing the swollen lump on his head.

"It wasn't supposed to- what's that?!"

"What?" Asked Myike, his dopey look rapidly changing to one of concern.

"That noise . . .oww!" She covered her ears as a roar like thousands of screams could be heard moving towards the village. Myike covered his ears too shouting into the house for his mother.

Sango was already out with Haraikatsu strapped to her back. The roaring only grew louder, accompanied by loud crashes as whole huts were sucked into the earth. The real screams of their neighbors soon joined them.

"_IS IT A DEMON_?," shouted Myike over the deafening noise. Miroku came out to join them, looking grave. Cutting off Saira's brewing complaint against him being out of bed, he silenced her holding up his left hand. He had brought quite a few of his tricky rosaries.

"_YES, IT__'__S A DEMON! MANY __IN FACT! A PACK OF WORMS! __I WANT YOU TO GET OUT OF HERE! GO TO THE WOODS_!" Miroku had a determined look on his face, and although not in her old uniform, Sango was already in a battle stance as the destruction of cottages and huts marked the path of a 'worm' headed their way.

"_BUT I WANT TO HELP_!" Saira cried. "_I'VE HAD BATTLE TRAINING AND __MY POWERS COULD HELP TOO_"

This time it was Sango who spoke. "_WE KNOW YOU CAN DEFEND YOURSELF BUT IT__'__S TOO RISKY! YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A REAL BATTLE! KAEDE WILL HELP US IF WE CAN REACH HER! NOW TAKE MYIKE AND HIDE!_" Even Saira couldn't argue with her tone of voice and as the rampaging drew closer she grabbed Myike's hand and ran for the forest.

Miroku held up his inornate right hand and smiled wryly motioning to the worms with his other hand. "_ITS__ TOO BAD I DON'T HAVE THE AIR RIP ANYMORE! IT WOULD REALLY TAKE CARE OF THESE __COME IN HANDY ABOUT NOW_!" Sango just smiled at him, and took aim at the giant gnashing worm that had just surfaced with the boomerang. It would be a long fight, but at least the kids were safe.

Saira was up in Goshinboku again hanging upside down. "Its not fair Myike! Just because _you're _such a bratty pacifist that you never had any battle training I have to babysit! It could have been my first battle today! Damn it!"

Myike, who sat below against the tree, did not like being called a brat. And he was happy that they were finally away from the racket. His ears were still ringing. "Gee, thanks. Just so you know, this is not a good tactic for making me sympathize with you." He looked down at his hands. "And I'm NOT helpless, all right! Just so you know I've been practicing father's magic with the rosar-"

"Parlor tricks." Saira said simply, swinging to and fro now. "All mikos and monks can do those. They are no match for a full demon." She yawned and wondered how Uncle Miroku and Aunt Sango were doing. She missed the excitement. It had been a good half hour already, maybe the battle was over.

"Yooowwwwchhhh!" Saira fell out of the tree with none of her unnatural grace and landed flat on her butt. She glared at Myike who was laughing his head off. Understanding, she pried off the purple rosary he had attached to her leg. "Lightning beads. Cute."

Two minutes later, Saira was hanging from her tree again and Myike was still tied up in his lightning beads unconscious beneath it. _Must have beaten him pretty good_, she thought whistling to herself.

Suddenly she tensed and her hair stood on end. Then she heard it. The distant roar. A worm had escaped and it was coming closer. _Looks like I'm going to see battle after all._

She hopped off the tree and started shaking Myike, ignoring the little zaps from the remaining energy in the beads. "Myike, _GET UP_!"

"What?" He muttered almost incoherently. "Ow. Why'd you wake me? I was dreaming about Yuko-- That sound! Are the worms coming?!" He looked petrified and Saira stifled a giggle.

"Yes. But don't worry your head about it you poor baby, we'll find you a widdle place to hide you while I battle with it." She smiled showing her canines again and drew her sword which she just _happened _to be carrying with her. It made Myike wonder just a little if she had had one of her feelings that this would happen. "Come on!" She called, jolting him out of his thoughts, already on a path deeper into the woods.

They came through the thin trees and undergrowth and found only one cave which Saira flatly refused to let him hide in. She claimed it held evil vibrations, but he figured she just didn't like that the light did not penetrate its depths. She was afraid of dark enclosed spaces. The sounds of the worm still came closer but the look in her eyes told him he would have to find another suitable place to hide. She had her sword out and at her side still but looked bored and restless.

He had to find a way to stop her from battling with that thing. It was too dangerous.

Another five minutes in, and Saira was tired of looking for a place to hide. "Myike, will you give it up? If you're worried don't be; you know I'll save your hide." She smiled mockingly at his back but nearly bumped into him. He had stopped.

She looked over his shoulder to see a wooden well.

It was old and looked fairly beaten up. There were uprooted trees and old scorch marks all around the place which had created a clearing. Myike was still standing at the edge of it. She stepped around and in front of him to get a closer look at the well and felt the enormous wave of energy that must have stopped the boy in his tracks. It nearly overpowered her. It was like the effect of the scar on the Goshinboku amplified ten times all around the clearing. She felt the sense of belonging again.

Magic was here.

Saira vaguely wondered why she hadn't been there before. She'd thought she'd explored every inch of this forest. She was strangely inapprehensive about this place. Where that dark cave had immediately given her a sense of fear, this place relaxed her. "This is a good place to hide." she nodded to Myike, who still stood there in shock over the feelings that had attacked him as he entered.

This was when the worm decided to make his entrance.

The ground shook and it surfaced just as it entered the tiny clearing.

"What took you so long?" Saira taunted. It appeared to be a baby compared with the ones she had seen Sango face as they left. She would take care of it easily. She grinned her carnivore grin and stamped her feet.

It was an ugly bugger, a dark shade of green with yellow spikes rising out of it. Maybe it was venomous? _B__etter if it's a challenge._

She brought her sword in front of her and took a stance as its four rows of teeth circled hungrily and it shrieked at her. Not as loud as its parents but still deafening at such close range.

"Go to the well!" She shouted to Myike, who was still frozen. He didn't move, his eyes glazed over. The worm turned its head towards the unmoving boy. "Run, stupid!" She shouted. The worm seemed to decide Myike looked more appetizing than the yelling thing with the sharp looking stick moving around frantically. It moved its head down quickly to pick him up but not fast enough as Saira dived for him and threw them to the ground. "You _IDIOT_! Your parents would kill me if I let you get eaten! Why didn't you move!?"

Finally, he seemed to snap out of his trance. "_HEY_! _You_ let _me_ get eaten? Hah! I wouldn't have… I-I was just about to kill that thing-"

"With what? Your frightening stares of death?" She snorted. "Now go to the well! You can hide in it if you're scared!"

"I'm not scared and I'm not sure about that weeeeeeeelllllllll!" He squeezed out the last part of the sentence as she protectively dragged him away from the man-eating worm that had been poised to bite his head off again. It looked a trifle annoyed too.

Saira dragged him to the center of the clearing and nearly shoved him in. "Don't come out until I tell you to! I'm gonna kill this thing!"

"But we don't know how far down this thing goes." He whined, having grabbed hold of the edge before she threw him down. "Didn't I ever tell you of my fear of heights?"

Saira turned around to look at the cowering Myike who had dragged his shoulders out of the well. "Will you shut up before you get your head bitten off-!?" Myike's eyes widened in fear as the worm's mouth came down on top of them while Saira was yelling. Faster than he thought was possible for himself, he pulled Saira into the well, simultaneously losing his grip on the wall. They both fell, as the monster crunched the wooden top of the well in its teeth just above them.

Myike's heart was in his throat as they fell, no, floated through a purple haze of light and the vision of the worm faded before their eyes.

They both screamed all the way down.


	2. Pictures and Revelations

**

* * *

-Saira-**

**Chapter 2:** Pictures and Revelations

* * *

Myike was suddenly painfully aware of a heavy burden on top of him and an angry headache. His head was propped up against a heavy stone wall. He groaned and tried to sit up, but was encumbered by Saira's unconscious body. _What? When did she come into my bedchamber?_

His expression was still pondering as his hand wandered. _Hmmm . . Guess she finds me less annoying than she makes me out to be. _A goofy grin plastered itself to his face as his hand crept closer to its destination . . .

Saira slapped the hand away on reflex and proceeded to pummel the owner when she realized who it belonged to. "_MYIKE_?! Get _off_ me! Oooohhh, you are dead now, boy! Who gave you the permission?!"

"Saira, wait! I'm innocent! I thought that you had, and I . . Youch!! Leggooo!" he howled as she pulled herself up and raised him up above her by his ear. "_You_ were the one lying on me in _my_ room. I just naturally thought . . ."

"You thought wrong, Hentai! To _me_ you did that! You disgusting- You are so _DEAD_! -Wait . . this isn't even your room, you idiot. Where . . ?" She dropped Myike roughly and examined her surroundings.

A deep dark stone hole. _Ugh_. She shivered disgustedly. _A well?_

The memory of the afternoon's events flooded back to her quickly. _Oh, the battle. Is it really dark already?_ She didn't think they had been knocked out very long.

"We have to get back to the village and help. You distracted me you jerk! I could've killed that baby worm. It looked barely old enough to chew its own food!"

Myike only scoffed at this remark, having picked himself up off the ground basically unharmed besides several new lumps and a black eye. "Its teeth looked pretty sharp to me." he muttered. "Wait. Wasn't the wooden top of the well chomped off by that thing's 'baby teeth'?"

"Must have been your imagination." Saira called down, already climbing to the aforementioned wooden section. She was back in a cheerful mood, though she didn't know why. But she still turned to give him a look of death that said if he tried anything he would be left crippled at the bottom. Then her look softened just a little. "Thanks for saving me from the worm." she said quietly and kept climbing.

_Geez, her moods are scary_, he thought to himself. He noticed her sword lying forgotten on the ground. Good thing she didn't have this on her or I would've gotten worse than a beating.

"Hey Saira!" he called. She turned again hanging on the vines threaded on the wall and caught the sword as he tossed it to her. "You're welcome."

Saira reached the top of the well and cried out in surprise, nearly causing the reluctantly climbing Myike to fall back to the bottom. "What is it _now_?" he called up in annoyance.

"Th-there's a-" When she didn't say anymore he climbed to the top as well and lifted himself out.

"Whoa."

Where there had only been woods before there was an actual structure around the well. It was weather-stained but sturdy, there was even a set of stairs leading to a wooden door. All cut evenly and put together so that very little of the dying light came through the cracks.

_Its like a mini shrine_, he thought silently. _But built in a few hours, or a day at most? And why? Its impossible_.

"Nee-chan! Nee-chan!" cried an enthusiastic voice from outside the door. It was bounding closer.

Before Myike and Saira could even take in this new development a human whirlwind slammed the door open and began speaking rapidly. "Oh God, Nee-chan! You finally came back! Mom and Jii-chan were so worried! They thought you were dead when you didn't come to visit for so long. But I never did! I knew you were probably too busy with youkai and the jewel to worry about us here and-"

The young man in about his mid-twenties stopped and looked puzzled for a moment. He had on a bright shirt decorated with cheery looking yellow leaves and crimson flowers and he wore khaki cutoffs that came to his knees. He looked a deep tan from getting too much summer sun and he was out of breath from running to the well house. His black hair was spiky and ill kempt, his bright blue eyes looked disappointed.

"You're not- Who are you?" The young man in the strange clothes said pointing at Saira.

Saira did not like being pointed at, especially by someone as strange as this guy, and straightened, pointing her chin up and bringing her sword in front of her into an offensive position. "Who are _you_? And where are we? Tell me. Now."

Souta took a couple deep breaths trying to absorb the situation. Strange people coming out of the well? Had Jii-chan ever told him how to handle this type of situation? Sticky wards wouldn't help, even if they did work. _Authentic? Hah!_

This girl was definitely shifty. Her golden eyes went from surprised to angry and defensive so quickly. There was something else there too. Untapped ferocity. It was eerie.

_Wait? Golden eyes? That's a little strange._ He took in her appearance more closely.

She wasn't Kagome, but she looked a lot like her. Her eyes were the same shape if not the color. Her smoky black hair swirled about her face like a fog as she held the shining katana in front of her. Her bangs were swept to the side and the wisps that would have gotten into her face were tied back. She wore a simple white haori with plain loose linen pants that nearly covered her sandaled feet. Clothing of a miko. Even Souta who had only inherited the limited sight of his grandfather and none of his sister's could see the brilliant aura of the warrior priestess that spread even to her katana. Her eyes, they . . .something about her eyes reminded him of . . . they were brilliant gold with bottomless pupils nearly slitted like . .

"You're their kid aren't you?" he asked quietly.

"Hey, who's kid? I thought we were your only relatives." Myike suddenly spoke and stepped forward from where he had been cowering behind Saira at the slamming of the door. He suddenly got braver. "What do_ you_ know about her parentsbecause _my_ parents never told us anything!" he stated sticking his finger to the man's nose.

Souta just blinked at him. "And who are YOU?"

"Myike, son of Sango the last demon exterminator and Miroku the traveling Buddhist priest, grandson of-" Myike spouted off and would have continued speaking indefinitely if Saira hadn't sheathed her sword and 'lightly' smacked him over the head. "_OWWW_!" he whined. "That hurt. Haven't you smacked me around enough yet toda-"

"Will you_ ever_ shut up?! I want to hear what this weird guy has to say, baka!" she nodded to the man to continue.

"Your only relat. . . you mean you didn't bring them? Where are they?" Souta now had a million questions racing through his mind. What had happened to his sister? "What's your name and how did you come here?"

"You first." she stated stubbornly and brought her arms across her chest. _Uh-oh_, thought Myike. _This guy had better feel like being cooperative._ This was her no-nonsense-or-there-will-be-a-death stance.

Fortunately the stranger decided to be compliant. "My name is Souta Higurashi, head of the Higurashi shrine and if I'm right you could be my niece."

* * *

Saira was in shock. Everything seemed to be going in painful slow motion. She blocked out the sounds and sights around her and went completely numb. It was like watching instead of living. She watched herself and Myike being led by this strange man called Souta into a rich looking house with glass windows and tiled floors into the largest kitchen she had ever been inside in her life. Myike was silent. Maybe he was a little stunned as well. They definitely weren't in the forest anymore.

Myike stared at Saira silently as they went inside the house. Her eyes were glazed over and she looked like a zombie. He wanted to comfort her but he wasn't sure that was what she needed at the moment.

Being thought a pervert and getting hit again wasn't a factor in his decision at all. Not at all.

They sat down at a largish wooden table in the center of an enormous kitchen and the questions began.

Souta smiled encouragingly at Saira as he brushed his hair away from his face leaning on his arms. He felt less than enthusiastic that Saira didn't know who her parents were. She still looked stunned to say the least. _Well, who could blame her? _he thought. _She's in a different world and just found out that her mother came from five hundred years in the future_. "Ok, one more time. Your name is Saira. You were raised in Kaede's village with this guy," he looked wearily over at Myike who was thinking silently as well. _Should he be here for all this?_ "And you never asked about your parents, why?"

This snapped Saira immediately back to attention. This Souta person was starting to sound snippy. She decided to ignore this minor infringement and pondered the question herself.

"Because although they love me, Sango and Miroku never answered my questions. I didn't really ask much anyways because . ." she took a deep breath. "I was afraid that . . . I thought that maybe they had . . abandoned me. I seem to be part demon. Those types of children are always unwanted." She stared at the floor with her strange glowing eyes picking out the patterns in the wood.

Myike's head snapped up and he stared at his best friend. She felt unwanted?

Saira suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Myike standing beside her, his blue-violet eyes shining with caring. She gladly accepted the support, ignoring her instinct to shrug off all comfort and bare her burdens alone.

Souta spoke, staring at Saira across the table and steadily held her gaze as he said firmly "I knew my sister. She would never willingly abandon her kids. And you have to be their kid. You look so much like her, and you have his eyes. And no one besides one of them could travel through the well without help."

"Travel through the well?!" Myike and Saira cried at the same time. Souta sighed, just a little irritated. More explanations were needed.

* * *

"Well, Saira." Myike coughed a little when Souta was done with his long and complicated story. "That's, um, an interesting heritage." He still didn't know if he could believe half of it. But then again he was sitting in the boy from the future's kitchen eating noodles that had been cooked in a giant black box and drinking strangle cold bubbly liquids. It did taste kind of good.

He grinned. _Wait till Mom and Dad hear about this. Wait, no. Wouldn't already know? They LIVED this stuff, didn't they. I wonder why they kept it a secret._

Souta was going to let them sleep in the same room, seeing as it was a completely new place, but Saira flatly refused. She needed to sort out a lot and she didn't feel like keeping an eye out for the perv while she was doing it.

So Myike was let off into the bedroom Souta had as a child. Ignoring the oohs, ahhs, and crashes that made her half curious as to what strange things Myike was looking at now, she nodded to her new uncle to take her to a guest room. He still looked like he wanted to see what Myike was doing to his things as new crashes and belated 'oops' came from his room, but ignored it. His niece was more important right now.

He led her to the end of the hallway and stopped at a sky blue doorway with little stenciled flowers on it. Cute, Saira thought idly. On second thought, she didn't want to think about how her life had changed irreversibly and she couldn't just pretend she didn't want to know about her parents anymore. She just wanted to collapse on her futon and force herself to sleep. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes, took out her hair ties letting the thick hair come down off her shoulders, and yawned loudly.

Souta opened the door finally after hesitating again and for the seemingly millionth time that day she was in shock.

The room was painted blue like the door with white billowy curtains on the windows. It had a very high sakura patterned bed and a writing desk on either side of the window. A bow and quiver of arrows leaned against the closed closet waiting for their master to return. She could sense the energy coming off them from the doorway.

There were pictures and papers everywhere. _Guess I'm not staying in a guest room. It's beautiful_, she thought. _Like a princess' room._

She walked to the desk and fingered the smooth wood. She picked up a few of the papers and glanced at them. They were nothing but sheets with numbers on them. The pencil marks smudged on her hands. Kagome Higurashi was the name at the top. Her heart sped up.

She looked at Souta who just stood in the doorway watching her look at his sister's math homework. He smiled encouragingly at her and she looked back at the objects on the desk devouring every detail. The various portraits caught her eye. They were so detailed she wondered what kind of talented artists they had in this era that could paint such tiny realistic miniatures. The pictures were all framed and in a few she recognized the boyish form of the man who stood watching her. More often than Souta there was a girl who looked a little like him. She had on a huge smile that was reflected back at her by the people surrounding her, she was hugging them in every one. Her midnight black hair swirled around her and her bright blue eyes sparkled with a strange happiness alien to Saira, but at the same time she recognized herself in the girl's lithe form.

Saira snatched the nearest picture off the desk and examined it closely. In front of the well shrine of the Higurashi Sunset shrine, as Souta had told her it was called, stood a family. A grisly old man with a silly smile. An eight year old Souta, looking like he desperately wanted to go in the house. A woman in her forties, with streaked black hair who bore a strong resemblance to Souta and the girl who dominated these pictures, laying a restraining hand on the boy's right shoulder.

_And . . . her . . . my mother_, her heart whispered. The teenaged girl was smiling as brightly as ever with a yellow sack over her shoulder wearing a bright green and white uniform of some kind. Saira was mesmerized.

Then, her heart stopped once again. Next to the midnight haired girl in the picture was an irritated looking boy. He was wearing a bright red haori and his torso was cut off the picture because he seemed to be getting up off the ground. His white silver hair was long and shaggy and hung down behind him with the exception of two large pieces that hung down his shoulders. Two fluffy white dog ears were perched atop his head and he had his arms crossed across his chest and his mouth was open like he was yelling something showing his small fangs. His golden eyes with cat-like slits that glared at the viewer confirmed that she was looking at her parents. She sat on the floor still staring at the picture as Souta quietly shut the door and retired to the couch.

Abandoning all ideas of sleep Saira stared at the picture long into the night.

* * *

I know its Tuesday night and I said I'd have it up this weekend, but I couldn't help it if my parents are sticklers for me getting more than three hours of sleep a night. They forced me off the computer early the last few nights. (early for me by the way is 11pm. What can I say? I'm nocturnal.) But that's the only time I get to write so . . . sorry. Oh well.

Please review for me. I really like this story and I want to finish it. Reviewing would be extra insurance. I've already started Chapter 3, talk to you soon


	3. More Albums and Back to the Well

-Saira-

**-Saira- **

**Chapter 3:** More Albums and Back to the Well

Myike woke up on the floor in the morning to find that he was once again not in his loft at home. _Damn_, he thought to himself. _I really miss having Kirara to warm me up. Maybe Saira would… nah._ He squinted his eyes at the burning sunlight streaming through the window. It must've been near noon already.

Wait. Saira… she had found out that her parents were… _That's right, we're in future world according to that spiky haired guy. His name was… uh… Souta?_

Myike looked around the decidedly not feudal-era room. _I'm _still_ dreaming! _

He got up off the floor in the center of the small room where he had finally collapsed the night before surrounded by interesting future stuff. He could tell that a lot of things, including the stereo, which Souta had said were paired up with the shiny rainbow colored discs that were scratched and shattered against the walls, were broken. _Wow,_ he thought. _I really did a number on this place. I was only trying to see how the big box and discus' went together. They really don't glide very well. I wonder what all the shiny black boxes were for. _

_I'd better get outta here and back home quick. Like pop always says, never let them catch you at the scene of the crime. _He looked through the only window in Souta's room which was already open and looked down. There was a large sakura tree outside that he could have easily climbed down without risking waking up Souta by walking out the front door.

He was tempted, but his fear got the better of him and he decided it looked a little shaky. He was about to go tiptoe through the living room and out to freedom when he noticed a shade of blue among the leaves. He leaned out the window a bit to get a closer look and nearly fell out of it when he saw what was there.

--

Saira had gotten up before dawn and watched the sunrise still clutching the photo in her hand, frame and all, on the window seat. She had no more thoughts, just stared into oblivion.

Her uncle had awoken at that point too. He came into her mother's bedroom to check on her, sat down on the bed, and watched it as well. The trance of the morning light was soon broken as he eyed her tangled hair, mud spotted and ripped robes that once could have once been considered white, and unhappy expression.

"You look a lot like her you know, aside from the eyes you could have been twins." Saira didn't look up or respond. "Especially in those clothes." he continued, unperturbed. "The first time she had come back through the well from feudal Japan she had clothes like yours on and she was an absolute wreck. She had only been there two days and had already found out more about magic and her ancestry than she ever wanted to know. Also like you."

Suddenly and without warning Saira turned her lopsided canine grin on him. "Are you saying I look like a wreck?" Souta looked sheepish and averted his eyes afraid he would burst out laughing.

Noticing his inner struggle about her appearance she easily switched topics. "Seriously, I would change out of these, but I don't have any other clothes with me. It's too bad, I would like to stay a few days more. I want to find out more about my parents lives and their disappearances. Basically anything and everything about this world and them that you can tell me." She smiled faintly and stared back out the window waiting for him to respond.

_Well, while my niece is here, I should show her a few things_, Souta thought. _Kagome would never forgive me if her daughter never went to a festival or tasted some of our family recipe Oden._ "A tour it is! I'll make all the arrangements today to gallivant around Tokyo, but first things first…" First thing is to get her into some decent clothes.

Souta showed her the large wooden chest and closet where her mother had kept her old clothes, insisting she get out of her soiled things. Then he went downstairs to use the telephone, some type of magic that you could use to talk to people that were even miles away. He'd tried to explain how it worked to her but she got bored and still didn't understand it.

After trying on many different dresses and skirts, working the alarming amounts of complicated zippers and tabs that helped the clothes to fit snugly, Saira picked out a reasonable looking skirt. It was straight black and covered most of her thighs. At least it wasn't as short as some of the others.

_Why would anyone wear a skirt THAT short?,_ she thought eyeing a green pleated one that she was sure she had seen Kagome wearing in her picture. _I would never wear something like that. I'm sure Myike would have a ball, but no. _

After examining herself in the mirror and making sure she liked how it looked on her, she picked out a navy blue short sleeved tee and brushed her smoky hair out and into a ponytail like Sango had taught her for the summer months with a matching hair tie.

She peered at herself in the mirror above the writing desk, and smiled, despite herself. Souta was right. She could see some of the smiling girl from the pictures looking out at her_. Aside from the eyes, _she thought._ The eyes of my father. _

She straightened herself out, and after a bit grabbed her picture and headed downstairs, sword belt at her side.

She walked down the hallway and checked on Myike. He was still sleeping in Souta's room. It was still early, only seven o'clock, but it was late for him to be sleeping.

_Must've tired himself out playing with all this future stuff. I thought I heard a few crashes. _He looked almost angelic with his eyes shut and his hands to himself. Saira grabbed a blanket from the high bed and put it over him where he was on the floor. She hoped Souta wouldn't hurt him too much when he saw his room. Souta looked like an easy going guy, but who knew when personal belongings were involved?

She padded down the stairs quickly, but stopped dead in the living room about twenty feet from the kitchen.

Something smelled heavenly.

Through the doorway she could see that Souta was done talking to the telephone and was leaning over the oven where he had cooked their supper last night. He turned and smiled at her, his spiky hair even more mussed if it was possible. Today, he was wearing another of his jungle/flower print shirts and the same shorts. He looked like he hadn't even taken two seconds to change.

_Maybe he slept in that_, she mused. _And he said I looked like a wreck._

Souta nodded at her outfit in approval as she walked into the kitchen. Then, he noticed the katana strapped to her side.

"What's with the artillery?" he asked, grinning as she sauntered towards the stove where the aroma was coming from. She gave him a confused look and looked into the boiling pot. "The sword?" he tried again.

"I always have my sword with me." she replied absently. Then she grinned again. "Whatcha cookin'?"

Souta couldn't help but smile back remembering how much Inuyasha had loved… "Ramen. Its freeze dried noodles. Pretty good, although it's not typically a breakfast food. I hope you like-" he looked up from stirring as he was cut off.

"Hurry up and finish it. I'm hungry." she ordered.

_At least she likes it. Its the only thing we have in the house right now anyway_, he thought.

Saira eyed the noodles and grudgingly sat down at the table when it didn't seem to be cooking any faster. The smell of the spices in the broth was slowly driving her insane.

They sat down to a fairly early breakfast two minutes later, at least for Souta. Saira was definitely enjoying herself. Souta hid his smile in his napkin as she downed five bowls of the boiled noodles. "Mmmm. That was good." she hummed as she sipped up the rest of the broth.

"I could tell. The Higurashi house is now officially out of food." He gulped silently as she glared daggers at him. "Anyway, um, my girlfriend, Ayumi, might be coming this afternoon to pick up some stuff. I know she'd love to meet my niece. She's always complaining about how small my family is." he coughed. "I think it's a subtle hint. And Mom will be coming back in a few days. She's on another long business trip to America. She just throws herself into her work. She misses them so much, Kagome and Jii-chan."

Noticing how Saira had started staring off into space at the mention of Kagome. He quickly changed the subject. "Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, I've got a surprise for you." He pulled a large leather-bound book from behind his back where he had been hiding it, waiting to give it to her.

"I couldn't sleep last night so I dug out nee-chan's old photo albums. I kinda put one together for you." He said giving her a small smile.

Kagome had only shown him her locked chest in the family closet where she had kept her precious albums after he had begged her for days. She was becoming a very private person then, and it was rare that she would show him anything from feudal Japan anymore. But Souta had wanted to know everything about everything there. Maybe if he had forced her to tell him more about the dangerous quest she, Inuyasha, and the friends that she spoke of often, were undertaking…

"The last few months she was over there she got really into photography. Anyway, it might have some better pictures of your father than the one you have."

Saira instinctively tightened her grasp on the framed picture in her hand, but held her other out silently for the large book. She was definitely interested in seeing more pictures. They were her only link to her parents besides this strange young man. "Thanks."

Her heart tightened as she opened the book to the first page where several scenes were painted across each page. As she silently looked at them, she noticed the trend of the grumpy looking hanyou and glowing faced girl in every single one. By the river, in fields, and up trees the boy's expression never changed. He always had a permanent scowl, but his strange yellow eyes held the light of happiness and seemed to change his whole face around. Her parents looked almost happy together.

Inuyasha and Kagome.

Souta watched over her shoulder and recited a few stories his sister had told him about more of the unusual pictures. Like one with a nice view of a girl's shoe and the silver haired boy kissing the ground (SIT!) and a giant bubble like thing that floated through the trees. Her favorite picture was of the boy with dog ears slurping up some familiar looking noodles out of a cup with the girl. For once she was not smiling but had a pert annoyed look on her face, and was manually turning his head towards the viewer.

_Ah, a likeness!_ she thought smiling thinking about the both of her parents.

Saira still didn't know many particulars about her parents' journey. Only that Inuyasha had been a dangerous demon and Kagome had somehow broken the seal on him and 'woke him up'. She had tamed him with a necklace and they had been forced to team up to find pieces of something important.

Souta said he really didn't remember much about Inuyasha. He was only nine when his sister had started traveling through the well, her silver haired companion in tow. He did however remember the one time he had to play keep away with the pieces she and Inuyasha had been collecting when a flesh-eating mask attacked his home.

That was when Inuyasha had become his idol. He cut the animated mask in half before it bit Souta's head off. Kagome disappeared only two years later. He said that he lived off of her fantastic stories as a child, but that was all he could tell. He never knew why she never came back one year, but had assumed that she and Inuyasha had gotten married, or something to that effect. He never let himself doubt for a moment that she would ever come back or think that she had died in that place.

Saira had tears in her eyes as she came to the second to last page of the album. It was so unfair! Why was her family life messed up? Why hadn't her parents ever come back to raise her? Why did they leave her? Where could they have gone?

Through the tears she determined something. _It doesn't matter. What's done is done. I have a great family. I love Sango and Miroku for raising and loving me (Boy, are they in for a tantrum when I get home!) but I have to go find out what happened. It'll eat at me forever if I don't. _

_I'll do anything to know. I'll go on a journey, to find them or avenge them. Its not only for me. My mother's family never knew what happened either._ She looked at Souta, who was looking through the album with her. He needed to know too. He seemed to love his sister a lot.

_I vow I will suck Miroku and Sango for all they know about my parents. _

Her heart sunk again. _But what if they don't know anything? What if I was just a foundling and all I have to go on are this man's faded memories? I wouldn't know the first place to look. _

"And this," Souta said suddenly, interrupting Saira's desperate thoughts and pointing to a figure on the last page, "is the lecher."

Saira burst out laughing and Souta looked at her strangely while continuing. "This was the only picture of the entire group I could find. I figured you would mostly want pictures of your family, but these are the um… people Kagome traveled with in your time, when she was younger. She loved talking about them. I think she had nicknames for a few of them too-" Saira just kept giggling and it finally burst forth into a joyful cackling. "Hey, I know it's a little funny but that guy looks like he's going to be in pain."

Looking up at Saira through the page was the most ragtag bunch she'd ever seen.

Kagome stood in the center with her arms resting on Inuyasha's shoulders in a cheerfully restraining manner. She was dressed in her usual green outfit which Souta had explained was a school uniform and was beaming. The boy had his arms folded across his chest and he was caught smirking, on the borderline of a true smile, in his usual red haori and pants. A little fox child, kitsune, with red hair and blue eyes was tugging at Kagome's leg looking worried.

His other hand was motioning towards the scene that had made Saira laugh for the first time in a long while. A young Sango stood proudly in her old exterminating uniform with Hiraikatsu in position. Not to exterminate youkai, but poised over a certain young monk who looked like he was about to be in serious trouble. He was grinning madly while grabbing Sango's backside and making a victory sign. Sango looked angry enough to kill but her eyes were smiling.

"Looks like Miroku got what was coming to him." she said still chuckling.

Souta looked amazed. "Wait a sec, you're saying you know them? How? Wow, what a coincidence." he smiled shaking his head.

"They're my foster parents." she explained pointing. "They got married and that brat upstairs trashing your room is their kid. We were raised together. Well, it looks like I don't have to worry about pumping them for information. It looks like they knew my real parents fairly well. They are SO in for it when I get home!"

"Wow, that's great! If you could, tell me what you find out when you go back. You have to keep visiting, and I'd really like to know too-- Wait! Myike's trashing my room?"

--

"Hey Myike. What's up?" Saira called to the startled human boy. She had heard him coming and caught him by his arm when he fell unceremoniously out the window, obviously after seeing her new look.

After breakfast, with three more of her mother's old photo albums in tow she had climbed the sakura tree in the back of the house to study them. Souta had explained that the pictures were instantaneous so they could have told her where the group had traveled to on their journey so she would know where to begin her search. She would ask Miroku and Sango too of course but she didn't know how long she would stay in the future and the pictures were also a comfort to her.

Myike looked a little dazed and tried to steady himself on a branch after falling from the window. He just stared at Saira. "Where did you get… good… clothes?" He eyed her bare legs and Saira calmly warned him not to stare.

"Close your mouth. You're drooling. And no you can't touch the skirt. No. I'm warning you... MYIKE! I can see your hand!" She pushed him out of the tree and he landed on the ground on his head. "It's not nice to not look at my face while I'm speaking to you, Hentai! You brat, you deserved that! No one gropes me!"

He twitched for a few seconds and then stood up, the blow to his head apparently knocking a little sense into him. "It wasn't my fault. I've been traumatized by all the near death experiences, heights, and trips in glowing light! I need to go home. I have to go home before-"

Myike and Saira looked to Souta's room as an inhuman howl interrupted his pleadings. "NOOOOOO! What happened to my CDs!! Oh, my poor stereo!! Now I know why Kagome didn't like it when Inuyasha poked around in her stuff!! DAMMIT!! They don't have people-from-the-past insurance and I— dammit Myike! If I find you I WILL KILL YOU!!"

Saira nodded knowingly. "Oh. Before that happened? It's a bit late." Turning to the window. "He's out here Uncle Sou-!" With inhuman speed Myike scrambled up the tree and clamped his hands over her mouth. But it was too late. They heard the immediate door slam and pounding as Souta clambered down the stairs. "How dare you!" Saira screamed as she shoved Myike out of the tree again. The only safe haven that had been left him.

After a beating that Saira was in on, Myike was bound and gagged. Souta didn't want him touching anything else for a few hours. When Souta realized his girlfriend wasn't coming that day he left the house to go to the market for some much needed supplies, including a full stock of Ramen.

He left Saira in charge of her cousin and she tortured him with descriptions of food for a while before giving in and getting him some crackers and juice from the nearly empty pantry. He gobbled them up gratefully and cheerfully even when she flatly refused to feed them to him.

He was finally let go when Souta came back and Saira and him went through all the photo albums in the house while Souta made more Ramen for supper.

When she showed him the funny picture of his parents he cracked a smile through the black eye he had been given by Souta. Then he noticed something strange.

"Hey, Saira. Do you see that? The hand that's waving at us. Its gloved and sealed." His face scrunched up a bit in confusion. He sensed that it was important somehow.

Saira looked closer at the photo too. Light blue beads were wrapped around his purple gloved hand. "Hmm. You're right we'll have to ask when- SHIT!" Saira suddenly stood up straight from where she was sitting on Souta's couch examining her own hand. "We have to leave NOW!" Myike looked at her, concerned.

She ran through the kitchen into the sunset outside and looked to the sky. "OH SHIT!" She repeated. "Why now? Why NOW?!" She ran back to the house muttering to herself and was met by two concerned young men at the door.

"Saira what's wrong?" Souta asked.

"Yeah, what's going on?" asked Myike with real fear in his eyes. Saira was never afraid, worried, or jittery like she was now. Something was really wrong.

"No time to explain!" she cried pushing past them. "Myike, we have to leave now. Grab your rosaries and my clothes. NOW!"

Myike didn't argue. She was dead serious. He rushed up the stairs and soon came back with the items and a few of the photo albums from the living room. Saira turned to Souta. "I really had a great time and everything but we really have to go now. I wish I could have stayed longer but I have no choice. It's dangerous for you if I stay here. We will take that tour later. I promise. I _will_ come back. With _real_ answers. I may have to take a trip first, but I promise I will find out what happened to my parents. Good-bye, Uncle!" With that rapidly said Saira rushed out to the mini shrine that held the well with Myike at her heels.

"Make sure you do come back!" Souta shouted, watching her go to the well sadly. "Good-bye."

He watched her figure rush into the shrine. _What was this all about? _he asked himself silently as he made his way to phone to cancel the tour with Hojo. The shy kid from Kagome's school now owned a major tour bus company and had agreed as a favor to personally drive them around the city. Poor kid, he had been so excited to meet Kagome's daughter. Well, it isn't as if he hadn't been stood up by a Higurashi before. The poor boy had tried to date Kagome all through high school.

"Saira, tell me what's going on." Saira ignored Myike's concerned plea and jumped through the well praying to every god she knew that it would take her home.

What would she do if it didn't work-? But after Myike followed suit and jumped in, the inside of the well began to glow.

"You don't want to know." she replied darkly. Her hands ached as her already sharper than normal fingernails grew and sharpened to flesh-tearing claws and she felt the terrible burning as the purplish welts appeared at her neck.


	4. The Change

-Saira-

**-Saira- **

**Chapter 4:** The Change

Saira was really starting to panic now. She scrambled out of the well and to her immense relief it was in the familiar shambles the worm-demon had left it in. They were back in the forest of her time.

_If I already have the claws it won't be long now. I have to get back to the village._ "The sun is almost set." she muttered to herself, as she looked for the direction they had come from to get to the well yesterday. _It'll take near fifteen minutes to hike back. Even with my speed. Too long. _

"No SHIT!" Myike shouted as he came angrily up out of the well, his face highlighted by the scarlet waves in the sky. "Now will you tell me what's going on? You're starting to freak me out!"

"Tell me which direction we came from yesterday." she ordered, ignoring his question again. "NOW MYIKE!"

Myike kept looking at her, confused at her behavior. He silently went over the events in his head. _We were hanging out at future boy's house, having a good time and she had even told me we were staying for a few days. Something about finding out more about her parents. Then she just up and goes back to the well. I thought she liked it there. Not that I'm complaining. Being tied up and gagged for three hours while being beaten to a bloody pulp for my curiosity is not my idea of a good time. But what's wrong with her?_

He silently pointed. "North."

She looked like she was about to bolt for the village, but stopped and took out her sword. "You'll need this." she said quietly. "To protect yourself. I won't be able to hold it off for long." She looked at the ground and Myike's eyes widened as she handed him her precious sword. She hardly let it out of her sight. Then, something even more shocking caught his attention. Long, sharp, and deadly looking claws were closed around the hilt of her sword. He took it from her hands and looked into her wild, golden eyes.

"What's happening to you?" he asked her softly.

She motioned for him to run with her and they started to make their way through the woods.

After a while she spoke. Myike caught the words on the wind. He was a fair runner, and was using all of his speed to keep up, but she was still much faster. He was a few yards behind her.

"It started a few months ago, on my seventeenth birthday. I'm surprised you hadn't noticed yet. They didn't try very hard to keep it from you. But then you've always been oblivious."

Myike bit back the urge to retort and kept running to catch up. He could hardly hear her words.

"That night there was no moon. Look at the sky." Myike looked up at the sky, still running. The stars were beginning to show in the dusk, but there was no hint of the moon. This only served to confuse him further and he nearly tripped over a root in the path.

"That night I almost destroyed our house." she continued. "Every month, on this night, I gain all the powers and strength of a demon. It even changes my appearance." she turned and smiled at him sardonically. "It wouldn't be so bad, but in return for those things I lose my mind."

Myike just looked at her, stunned. Streaks of silver began to light through her hair and she turned back and continued running.

"When I woke up the next morning, Miroku had managed to seal me in our shed with a few sutras. The place was trashed. Everything had been ripped to pieces. They brought Kaede to me, to examine me. She didn't know what had happened. I was told that the change started with the sunset and that I had attacked Miroku. That I had reverted to being some kind of beast. He still has the scar across his chest where I clawed him." She paused and took a deep breath.

"He told me I had tried to get out and destroy the village. The house was messed up the same way, but I didn't remember anything. He said I had been like a wild animal. That I didn't respond to his calling for me to stop." Saira's eyes shined with tears but she kept talking.

"Kaede assumed it was some weird allergy and I fasted for ten days. By then you returned from your ridiculous year of monk training with that drunkard, Mushin. Everything had been cleaned up. Everything was normal again, until the next month. They had assumed that it was a one time fluke. But that time, they caught me about to slash up a child in a rage. Now they usually enchant me or seal me up before I start to change. We don't know why it happens." She stopped, frustrated, and punched the ground angrily. "How could I have been so STUPID?! How could I have forgotten my time was coming! Now you're in danger and- and- I could hurt someone tonight…" She stared at the sunset bitterly.

Suddenly there was the familiar pain. Saira clutched her stomach as her organs writhed and contracted. She felt a hand on her shoulder. He was trying to comfort her. "NO! Myike, _stay away_! I could hurt you! I have to get to the village!" She threw his hand off her shoulder and stood up again. She growled in pain and started to stumble to the village, which was now in sight.

--

"They've been gone a whole day and night now. Are you sure they're okay? What if that young worm-demon did something to them?" Sango sat down with her tenth cup of tea. All she had been doing since the past night was waiting for them to return.

Miroku gave her a tight smile. His fists were clenched at his sides and he started pacing and went to the window again. "I'm sure they're fine. You should be confident in their abilities. They're both resourceful kids. Take after their parents you know."

"That's what I'm afraid of." she said quietly. Their traveling group of adolescents had never been able to stay out of trouble when they were young. Demons had always been after them. What if their kids were the same way? Sango may have been a youkai exterminator, but she didn't fancy her son or Saira in that situation. Neither of them had seen true combat and she didn't want her children to live like she had. Her and her friends had had to grow up much too fast. There had been many casualties of that lifestyle . . .

Millions of horrific scenarios ran through her mind. What if they really had been attacked by demons? Or worse, what if Naraku had come back for vengeance on her children? But she dismissed that thought as ridiculous. It was only her imagination running away again. But then why was her calm, levelheaded husband staring out the window with the same look in his eyes.

Suddenly he jumped and went to the door. "They're coming." Then he narrowed his eyes a bit. It couldn't be, but it was. She looks so much like Kagome, he thought absently. "Three guesses where they've been."

Sango leapt from her chair, knocking it over. She looked to the door and saw what he was talking about. Their demon-like daughter was wearing a skirt like Kagome's and a navy blue, what Kagome had called, a T-shirt. "The well." she breathed. How had they gotten through it?

As Saira came closer to the hut, Miroku realized something was wrong. She was stumbling about unevenly, as if in pain, and her hair glowed silver in the starlight. No, it wasn't just the starlight. He looked to the sky and realized that there was no moon.

_Shit!_ he cursed silently. _I had forgotten. What an idiot I am!_ "Sango!" he cried urgently. "Go to the chest in our room and get the necklace!" Her violet eyes widened and she risked one more glance at her foster daughter before rushing to the bedroom on the first floor. There was no time to seal her or chain her up. The sun had set, the change would almost be complete.

Behind Saira ran Myike. Miroku could see his concern even from how far away they still were. He was trying hard to keep up with her, he held her sword in his arms awkwardly. They were trying desperately to get to the cottage in time. _Poor Myike, we never told him._ But there was no time for regrets.

Sango quickly returned with the blue crystal beaded necklace just as the kids arrived. Each section was carved with ancient runes. They burst through the door and Myike dropped the clothes and things he had been carrying. Saira's eyes were slitted so that the pupils were nearly nonexistent. She was sweating and her breathing was slightly uneven. She had been fighting off the transformation. Even so, her hair was completely silver and her fangs showed sharply as she panted for breath.

"Saira, you've been to the w-" Miroku began as he was cut off.

"NO TIME!" she snarled. "We'll discuss it later, _don't worry about it_!" Her anger was amplified with her demon blood and she felt herself fading as instinct took over. "_Hurry, _Uncle!"

Needing no more prodding he threw the necklace at her neck while chanting the incantation. Myike looked on silently, as did Sango.

Saira felt a surge of relief as the spell took effect and the feeling went out of her body. She couldn't hurt anyone tonight. She slowly slumped to the floor. She couldn't contain it any longer. She surrendered herself to the overwhelming animal that surged up inside her.

Myike looked at his best friend as she slid bonelessly to the floor.

At almost the exact moment that she fell to the ground, he knew that Saira was gone.

He went to her immediately and tried to brush the silver hair from her eyes. But they weren't her eyes anymore. Not the pure gold he remembered. A monster peered out at him from them. Her eyes were blood red now and two dark purple stripes scarred her neck. One streaked across her left cheek. She immediately growled when he touched her and showed her fangs angrily. She struggled against an invisible force that kept her pinned to the ground motionless. She looked like she wanted to kill him. She hissed at him and he felt like he wanted to die. How could his own parents keep this from him?

"Stay away from her, Myike. She's not herself right now. The subduing spell will last till morning. She'll be okay, you can talk to her then." Miroku warned.

Myike silently pulled away from the feral eyes and sat at the table. He glared at it. "Why didn't you tell me? I had a right to know! She's my _friend_!" He had so much hurt in his voice his parents couldn't speak.

--

Saira came back to awareness slowly with sunlight shining on her from the window. She brought herself to a sitting position with her elbows. The burning fever behind her eyes and the pain in her gut were gone again with the morning.

She felt normal, but she did her routine check of her hands. The first morning of her transformation her hands had been covered in Miroku's blood. She could tell it was his and it had nearly scared the life out of her.

_The transformation. On top of everything else. My life is officially a living hell._ She was relieved to see that her hands were clean and her family was safe.

She looked at her normal human hands. She was always afraid that one morning she would wake up and the claws would still be there. That she would be stuck transformed forever. She smiled in relief at her normal smoky black hair and checked her teeth unconsciously with her tongue.

_So, I guess we made it. _She didn't remember much. Even up to getting to the hut was a fog of pain.

Miroku and Sango snored softly against each other at the table in the small kitchen.

_That's right_, she thought evilly. _Today is the day I get my answers. They are in for some bashing. Stay asleep while you can, my friends. _

The thoughts cheered her and she slowly stood up. She looked around the room again.

Her things and a few albums from Souta's had been dropped and forgotten against the door. She grabbed one and went up through the loft to another favorite place of hers to think.

The roof. She didn't want to go to the Goshinboku and miss her relatives awakening. That wouldn't be any fun. _They would have a chance to escape my wrath by doing chores. _

She fingered the beads around her neck and thanked them silently. Miroku had only had to use it once before. He preferred to seal her up in the shed. He thought it was torturous to use the spell of the necklace. Like waking up alone in a sealed hut is any better, she thought wryly.

She silently climbed the ladder through the roof to find someone already sitting on it deep in thought. She froze.

The wind played with Myike's spiky black hair and his tanned face glowed with the sun. He stared at the risen golden ball and didn't turn when she sat beside him.

They sat there looking at the sky for what seemed like forever. Finally, Myike handed back her katana which he had been holding onto like a life line. Seeing his best friend like she was the night before had really shaken him.

Suddenly, Saira was ashamed of it. She wished he hadn't found out her secret. Her transformation. What if he hated her now and decided to call her freak behind her back like everyone else?

Her foolish thoughts filled her with more hurt and shame. Saira opened her mouth to speak when she felt his arms around her.

He hugged her tightly as if she would disappear. His fear and want to comfort her showed through it. He let go afterwards and looked down at the thatch.

"No more secrets between us. Ever. Agreed?" His voice was shaky but firm and Saira thought she would cry with happiness. He didn't care about her being part demon. She should have known better than to think such things. They were closer than siblings.

"Agreed." she said evenly while sheathing her sword.

They watched the sun rise to its zenith together in silence.


	5. The Story

-Saira-

**-Saira- **

**Chapter 5:** The Story

Saira almost fell off the roof when she heard the resonating crash from downstairs interrupting the peaceful quiet signaling their parents' wakefulness.

"I _told_ you _never_ first thing in the morning, _houshi_!" This was followed by a resounding slap that echoed up to the rooftop.

Saira grinned over at Myike. Sango only called Miroku houshi when he did something especially distasteful. That one sounded like it hurt.

"Looks like they're still going at it after all these years, eh Myike?"

Saira snorted while Myike began to look nauseated. "And you say I'm the sick one. Ack! Those mental pictures are not good for my health--" Saira smacked him upside the head playfully.

"All better now?"

Rubbing his head, Myike grimaced. Saira was back to one of her more cheerful (and murderous) good moods.

"Much." he retorted wryly then muttered to himself. "At least they wait till I'm out of the house usually."

He brightened. "Since they're awake… shall we?" He held out his arm.

"Certainly." Saira replied, smiling mischievously, as arm in arm they made their way to the ladder down the loft.

Sango put a kettle of tea to boil over the hearth and sat at the wooden table again sighing. She could hear the children moving around on the roof.

"Miroku, you get to explain." The aforementioned monk opened his mouth to protest but stopped as she sent him a death glare. "You were the genius that suggested that Saira didn't need to know anything about her heritage. You get to talk now."

The usually composed Miroku began to look a little nervous. He hated awkward situations, unless they could be used to his advantage or entertainment. This one was neither case.

"But my dear Sango, you agreed. So we have an equal responsibility to explain and I think that-"

"You. Will. Talk." she interrupted his bargaining pitch pronouncing every syllable slowly so that there would be no mistaking it.

_Damn._ She usually agreed when he pulled his fast-talking. No choice now. Sango got up stiffly and poured a couple cups of tea, setting one cup in front of him with a smirk.

She knew she had won. He was half afraid she would pull out Hiraikatsu and hit him over the head with it if he didn't agree. For old time's sake.

_Well, at least if she hit me hard enough it would knock me out. I wouldn't have to talk to the kids. I could even fake it! _Miroku grinned at his ingenious plan, but to his dissappointment she didn't pull out the heavy weapon. _Dammit!_

Saira and Myike entered the room together seconds later and sat across from the fidgeting monk. Sango picked up Miroku's role and calmly sipped her newly brewed tea.

Saira folded her arms across her chest expectantly and stared across the table at her uncle who seemed to be elected the speaker of the day.

She watched him for a minute and then got a 'little' impatient. Miroku seemed content to be silent and finally Saira felt ready to explode.

Myike looked at her knowingly as she smilled at her surrogate parents sweetly. Time to be blunt.

"Uncle, tell me all you know about Kagome Higurashi."

Miroku promptly spit his tea back into the cup that he had just taken a sip from. "Um...Uhh…"

"You've been to the well." Sango remarked staring at Saira's modern garb and taking a sip of tea. She was a little surprised that her daughter knew that much too, but decided to let Miroku talk. Speaking of which…

Miroku started a bit as his wife's elbow connected with his side. "Uh… well…"

Saira put her hand to her face and started shaking her head, exasperated.

"Okay. Start with the basics. When and where did you meet her?" she asked putting emphasis on the word when. "And I know you knew her. I want all truth."

Since waiting for Miroku to talk didn't seem to be getting them anywhere in the discussion, Sango spoke up. "Actually, when we met them Kagome was already traveling with someone else. They met Miroku before they met me and were traveling together for quite some time."

"Inuyasha." The previously silent Miroku supplied.

Saira was getting impatient again. "Well do you know how they met?!"

"Well, this is when it gets complicated- and magical. Saira, your father was youkai."

Saira blinked at Miroku for a few seconds.

"No! Really?! I thought I changed into a full youkai every month because I'm a normal human!"

"No. I wasn't referring to just that fact, Saira. He was actually a hanyou. Son of an Inu Taiyoukai. He had the same problem you do.

"The transformations weren't regular but whenever he was in danger of losing his life he would transform into a full demon. It started after we were all together for about a year.

"Inuyasha, in his youth, was after The Shikon no tama. He wanted to become full demon to become more powerful and work out some childhood issues. In his search for the Jewel he met the Priestess Kikyo who was the guardian of the cursed object. They had a brief love affair after which they betrayed each other and Inuyasha was sealed to the Goshinboku in the forest."

Saira was busy trying to absorb this new information. _It makes sense, the surge of energy I always felt around that tree, but was my father really evil? _

Miroku continued, "Kikyo died soon after and was cremated with the Jewel. Fifty years later, a young girl passed through the forest and broke the seal that held Inuyasha. It was said that only Kikyo herself could break the spell that bound him. Her name was Kagome and she was said to be the reincarnation of Kikyo. When she came here from her world the jewel came with her. Somehow it was shattered and the wakened Inuyasha was forced to work with her to collect the pieces.

"A month or so later while searching for shards, they met me. I was spying on her- I mean their little group hoping to gain their pieces to lure out an old enemy of mine. The hanyou Naraku. Through me, Inuyasha discovered that it was Naraku who played the lost lovers against each other and we all decided to travel together to exact our revenge.

"It's also how I met Sango. Her village and family were destroyed by the same demon and she was turned against us. As a demon slayer she attempted to destroy Inuyasha, but soon joined with us, also in hope of finding and killing Naraku."

_Wow, everyone just loved that guy huh?_ Saira thought sarcastically. _How can one person cause that much damage? _

"We had several battles with him over the next two years. All were near misses. He always escaped just in time or sent one of his minions to do the dirty work. By that time he had collected as many Jewel pieces as we had if not more. They made him all the more powerful.

"Kagome, determined not to let him interrupt her normal life, suggested we take a short break from the hazards of shard hunting. That's when we settled down. We didn't intend to have families so soon. Kagome had you, Saira, and Sango was pregnant with Myike soon after her.

"That's when Inuyasha caught wind of more rumors of Naraku's whereabouts. He still wished for vengeance fiercely and Naraku would dominate the world if he ever completed the Jewel. He decided to go into battle alone but Kagome wouldn't hear of it. Sango couldn't come because Myike was soon to be born and I wouldn't leave her. You were barely a month old.

"I don't think they really believed they would face a battle head on. They had not even had you named yet. They never came back.

"The energy blast hit us all the way here in Edo. Kaede has no idea where it came from. They had been gone for two months traveling west. She said the blast was worse than when the Great Shikon no Tama was first shattered."

Saira just sat in her seat at the table mystified. Myike waved his hand in front of her face and then laughed a little nervously. "Yup, that was definitely complicated."


	6. Start of the Journey

-Saira-

**-Saira-**

**Chapter 6:** Start of the Journey

Saira dipped her clothes into the river that ran by the village, trying in vain to get the stains out.

"This is useless!" she yelled aloud to herself. She tossed the drenched and hopelessly muddy miko robes behind her on the grass.

"And that was my good outfit too." she pouted. Now she would have to stop at old Kaede's to get some extra clothes.

She wrung the ruined garments out on the grass and dragged said rags over to her small sack. "Stupid. Freaking. Worm-Youkai!" she shouted as she stamped her sandaled feet on a real earthworm.

_All right, that made me feel better. Now back to business_…

Saira went through her mental checklist again. In the bag she had some dry rice she could cook up, a small pot, and a little rye meal.

_I need more food. I wouldn't last a week without starving. Well, Souta seemed to have plenty. Maybe I'll stop by there later to… say good-bye… And maybe happen to help myself to some modern conveniences. _Saira grinned devilishly before shaking herself.

_I've been living with them too long, _she thought lovingly of her foster family. _They've turned me to evil. _

She smiled again and got up to head to Kaede's shrine. She threw the sack across her back and lugged the soaked clothes with her. _Maybe Kaede can make use of these. _

It was dark in the old shrine building when Saira entered. Only the candles highlighted the shadows of the walls. "Why she insists upon keeping it so dark in here during the day, I'll never know."

Old scraps of cloth covered the few windows to keep out drafts. Perfect. Saira dumped her ruined robes near them hoping someone would take the hint and use them.

Bows, spears, and holy articles lined great shelves on the walls. Although the village was poor, Kaede was a great collector of holy artifacts.

_Weapons!_ Saira thought to herself eyeing the bows. _There's something else I need._ She grabbed a nice looking one that she used during her training. Saira much preferred swords, as they didn't seem to want blow up on her like arrows did, but any weapons she could get her hands on would be good.

In one of the corners of the room she spotted the old trunk that housed the shrine robes. Kaede had quite a few apprentices to help her out around the shrine, but the only one she now personally trained was Saira. She supposed she should be honored, but the fact was that Kaede had HAD to personally train her to make sure there weren't any more 'accidents'.

She grabbed a likely looking outfit from the trunk and checked it for size. As much as she liked the clothes from her new uncle she didn't want any unwanted attention for the strange style. Her glowing eyes were enough trouble, she didn't need weird clothes as well.

"Back for more training already? I thought it would be at least a week before ye returned to try shooting again after that last explosion," intoned a stern and slightly scratchy voice from behind her.

Saira turned towards the old woman with the new robes clutched in her hands guiltily. "I didn't come to the shrine for training, Kaede. I'm leaving Edo for a while."

Saira looked at the old woman thoughtfully trying to gauge her reaction. She hadn't aged much in the past seventeen years and to Saira it seemed that she could live forever. She was the oldest living member of the village, and the most respected.

Her expression betrayed nothing. "Oh? Well, you might not want to take that bow. It's still charged with your energy."

Saira hastily dropped the bow away from her bag. Her energy and powers were somewhat troublesome. Meaning she couldn't control them.

It was another disadvantage to being part demon. Somehow her powers reacted to her demon energy and caused 'little' mishaps. Like combustible farm animals and exploding houses. She couldn't purify things at all, and if she somehow managed to, the objects would become unstable. Last week, when she had practiced archery, she had taken down a whole row of huts. She'd offered to help rebuild, but the villagers were a little nervous about her helping them undo the damage she caused.

_Hmph. Its not like I'm some rampaging demon, my aim just sucks. _If her energy was still in the bow, that made it dangerous. Exploding in your face dangerous. Hence her decision to stick with just her sword.

"Kaede, got any more swords, spears, and/or food? I need supplies quick. I'm setting out tonight."

Kaede gave her what she could for her journey before asking her where she thought she was heading.

"I have to look for a demon forger named Toutousai, so I can ask him to make some type of seal on my demon blood. But I have on idea where that guy would be so I'm basically going to wander around the face of Japan until I starve to death or find someone useful to help me."

Last night it had been made clear. She _had_ to find a seal for her demon blood. Miroku had told her that since the transformation had started it would only be a matter of time before she started transforming on days other than the new moon.

_'It could happen any time. When your life is in danger or just extreme rage. The demon in you could start to consume you.' _

Thanks Dad. Your demon blood is such a pain in my ass.

_'Kaede confirmed this. The only way to stop it would be to seek out a seal. Toutousai was the one who forged your father's sword. Perhaps he could make you one. I'll set out for him after planting. We can't afford to waste much time but without this food the village will starve as well. Saira, I'll find him.' _

_Yeah right, Miroku. I'll just twiddle my thumbs while my body betrays me until planting season is over. Then I'll wait some more until you comeback. No WAY am I letting you out of this village after that sudden fever you scared the crap out of us all with, Uncle. _

_If I go by myself none of them will have to be bothered. They've all done enough for me anyway. Time for me to set off on my own and get out of their hair. _

Kaede gave her a bemused smile. "I have little idea where to find that youkai, but I've heard that ye parents journeyed near there. Its location is deep in the Western Lands."

Saira held back another sigh. _At least I know a direction now._

She started for the door waving. "See ya later, Kaede! Hopefully I won't be a slobbery monster by then. Oh yeah, and don't tell the family I've left yet!"

Saira hummed to herself. That was done. She had weapons, suitable clothes, and still very little food. _Aw, screw it. Souta said he wanted to see me before I left anyway. _

She came to the well in the forest without too much trouble. It was near the Goshinboku and past that creepy cave. She looked down it doubtfully for a few seconds before shrugging and jumping in, sack clutched in her hands.

When she finally hit bottom after her ride in the pretty purple light there was a very large something beside her. She reached out and realized it was cloth so she lugged it and herself out of the rotting old well.

When she opened the door in the mini-shrine to let in a little light she realized the very large something was a very weird looking bag.

It was bright yellow and stuffed so it was nearly as big as herself. But she had pulled it out of the well with her easily enough…

Shrugging again, she opened the top by pulling on the metal tabs. Interesting.

She grinned widely as tons of ramen spilled out of the top of the bag along with a piece of paper. It was a note from Souta.

'On that tour with Hojo. Sorry you couldn't come Saira. Good Luck with your adventures.'

_Aw, how sweet. He got me food! _

_Who's Hojo? _

Saira snuck out of the house when she was sure everyone was sleeping. Even Kirara. The neko-youkai was smarter than she looked for such a little pet.

She blew kisses to her foster parents' room with the giant bag swung over her shoulder and her sword at her side. She had left a note to Souta at the bottom of the well saying that her parents had most likely been obliterated and that she was going on a journey to look for a seal. Not a very nice way to put it, but she was in a hurry and didn't feel like explaining things.

Saira was never one for tact.

She slipped quietly out of the house and down the line of huts to the plain wooden arch that marked the beginning/end of their small territory.

_Good-bye village, good-bye Goshinboku, and _good-bye_ working in the fields for a while! _

She was a little sad, but turned to start walking down the dirt path. She hadn't been able to 'borrow' a horse from any of the villagers. The communal barn had been a little damaged by her training a few months ago and the animals had run away in panic. No one had bothered to get anymore. They couldn't really afford them anyway.

Saira stiffened as she heard someone coming. Then relaxed and sighed as she caught the faint scent of the boy and heard the familiar footsteps trying desperately to keep quiet.

"Go home, Myike. And _do not_ tell your parents about my leaving." Saira caught the faint rustles as he realized he was caught and slipped out of the thick bushes.

Myike was dressed in his normal clothes. A kimono-style vest and peasant leggings, but he had a sack over his shoulder and was carrying a monk's golden staff. His violet eyes held a determined stare but he looked very calm. Like his father. It was starting to creep her out.

"I'm going with you." he said simply and folded his arms as if daring her to protest.

"You can't come." she said in an even tone. "Who told you I was leaving anyway?"

He smiled at her. "Kaede."

Now she was getting a little irritated. _I deliberately tell her not to tell the family and what does she do? Invite the boy on _my_ journey! _

"Dammit Myike! You can't come!" But she didn't have any excuses for him to stay home besides that she wanted to leave on her own, and that wouldn't clinch it.

He also had an ace up his sleeve. "Oh can't I? What about all the innocent villagers out there? Who's going to protect them from you when you go all psycho, huh? I know the controlling spell for your necklace. You wouldn't want any innocent blood on your hands when it could be prevented, do you?"

She glared at him. "You're evil. _Fine._ You can come. But you'd better not get us lost. And if you grope me… You. Will. Die."

He smirked at her. _Knew that would work._ "Fine."

The teenagers started walking away from where they had lived their whole lives without looking back, although they had no idea where they were headed and each was following the other.

An old man with bright blue eyes watched them go and smiled faintly. "So you've finally started off. Good Luck. Help will be there to guide you."


	7. Enter Mikkoku, Fuedal Princess?

-Saira-

**-Saira-**

**Chapter 7:** Enter Mikkoku, Fuedal Princess?

Two lone figures trudged along a seemingly endless dirt road surrounded by forest, and they hadn't come to another village yet.

"But I'm _tired_!" Myike whined. "We've been marching since last night and its dawn already. I want a break, slave driver." With that said, Myike plopped on the ground and started rummaging through the sacks for food.

Saira finally noticed that her faithful bag carrier had stopped following and glowered at him. "And what do you think you're doing? I told you we weren't resting until we came across another village. We need to ask some directions since _you_ got us _lost_!"

They had been traveling for a few weeks and now weren't even sure if they were still heading West. The boy across from her, who annoyingly enough stopped for rests at _least_ three times a day _and_ insisted on tricking innocent villagers into providing them with free hot meals when they stopped in towns, had vexed the innkeeper's daughter (with certain habits of his) who had then refused to provide them with further direction into the countryside. He had fooled Saira into thinking he knew exactly where he was going for three days.

Myike raised an eyebrow at her and replied serenely from his sitting position on the grass, "Resting. And I am going to eat soon. Because that's what we _humans_ have to do to recover energy."

She ignored this comment and crossed her arms in frustration. "I said we weren't stopping yet and that's final. No one forced you to come, you know, and I don't feel like losing time."

Myike, found what he was looking for in the giant yellow bag and joyfully ripped off the plastic wrapper. He stuffed the bar of candy into his mouth with a happy sigh. Saira was a little less than amused that he wasn't taking her seriously and moving NOW.

With his mouth full of sticky chocolate and caramel he gave her a perky grin. "How can we lose time if we don't know where we're going? I might be saving you miles of going in the wrong direction."

She blinked at him and was about to yank him up whether he liked it or not when the smell of the chocolate hit her and she realized how hungry she was. She covered the insistent rumbling of her stomach by complying.

"Fine. We'll take a five minute break." She said, sounding as if she was doing him a large favor while grabbing a few chocolates for herself. "These would've melted if we'd kept them much longer anyway." She pointedly looked away from Myike's triumphant smirk.

Waiting until the delicate and lovely miko had stuffed her face with chocolate, trying to sate her roaring stomach, Myike pointed towards the monstrous yellow backpack, and stated matter-of-factly, "I'm not carrying that thing anymore. You packed all the future stuff, you can carry it."

He waited quite calmly for the imminent explosion, rummaging through said bag again for something edible within its depths.

At this Saira marched over and snatched it away from Myike. "Then I can eat our food, too." His face fell.

"I seem to remember a certain idiot ex-monk's apprentice that realized he hadn't packed any food. You've got to do something to pull your weight around here!" She added and tossed the sunny-yellow boulder effortlessly back to the horrified boy, hitting him in the stomach and knocking him flat on his back.

She was still laughing at him when her human-like ears pricked at a sound in the distance.

Saira had noticed that her demonic senses had been improving. She had more stamina and could hear and track better than she had ever been able to in her life. But that also meant that time was against them.

_And Miroku thought we could wait till planting season was over! HAH! _

The sound got louder as it moved a little closer and she sifted through them. One was a human, screaming, the other she couldn't identify.

Myike, noticing his friend's uneasiness, shoved off her bag and stood up. "Saira, what is it?"

She merely readied the blade at her waist as the screams became audible to the other teenager as well. He fumbled for his father's old staff, Shakujou, which he had helped himself to while packing.

Of a sudden, a young woman stumbled into the road from the dense woods. Her long straight, stringy black hair was free from any bindings that may have held it at one point and was tangled with twigs and leaves. She panted as if she had been running a long ways and her peach kimono, which at one point might have been considered expensive and fine, was tattered and grubby.

Upon seeing Myike in his awkward battle stance, she threw herself at his feet. Her emerald green eyes were red-rimmed with tears and she hugged the boy's legs.

"Please Houshi-sama!" she cried, her sweet voice tremulous in her distress. "Please save me!"

Myike looked like he was in heaven. "Of course, Fair Maiden." Saira rolled her eyes as he grandly brandished the pilfered monk's staff and then looked around. "But from what?"

At that moment an Oni crashed through the foliage destroying everything in its' path and Saira belatedly recognized the second sound as the destruction it had caused on its trek.

It was over fifteen feet tall. No more than a dwarf compared to some of the giant ogres she had heard of. Its' thick black fur covered most of its' body, underneath it, blotchy brown yellow skin. What Saira could hardly stand though was the stench. It was worse than any garbage or dung; disgusting. The thing paused as it made its' way into the dirt path, its' rolling blood red eyes fixing on Myike and the girl cowering at his feet.

"Oh," was all Myike could get out before turning to Saira. "That thing's big. We should run."

But Saira was already pacing and sizing the demon up. She quickly struck at its' side before it could launch its sluggish attack at the would-be hero. Said hero ran with the green-eyed girl and hid near some bushes out of the way of the ogre.

Needless to say, this irritated the demon slightly. It rolled its raging red eyes towards the source of its' discomfort and crashed its giant fist into where Saira had been the moment before.

She jumped behind the Oni and prepared to hit again. This time, an experimental slash along its back. The creature, unable to find the source of its irritation, turned its eyes to Myike, who in turn got worried.

"Didn't you even hear what I said?!" followed by Myike throwing himself and the girl hard to the right as another large fist connected with the ground.

Saira wasn't listening. She looked from the wound she had inflicted to the sword and back again. She had found out what she needed to know.

Her strikes hadn't been aided by her youki or her holy powers.

This meant that the blade wouldn't explode on her at least, but also that her slashes wouldn't be enough to bring the youkai down. _Uh-oh._

Knowing this would probably be the only chance she had, Saira moved to where demon's fist was still buried in the ground after trying to attack Myike and bunched up her leg muscles.

The slow demon was still trying to pull its' clawed hand out of the ground when she used the arm as a springboard and jumped impossibly high for a human to the oni's neck slicing where a vital vein would be.

Unfortunately the sword, instead of neatly slitting the demon's throat, chipped on the youkai's tough neck hide and broke off three inches below the hilt. She looked at the useless katana in disbelief as she descended towards the ground again and was roughly caught around the middle by the furious ogre.

"Shit." The pressure on her chest tightened as she struggled to pry the thing's fingers off of her. The smell was starting to get to her.

Myike, who until this point had been caught between hiding and helping in the fight, finally realized his friend was in danger. He tumbled out into the open and fumbled through the rosaries he kept inside his traveling cloak, grabbing five of the lightening beads.

Saira was too busy struggling to notice his presence. A loud cracking sound was heard. "You bastard! That was a rib!" And the youkai was too busy squishing its victim to notice when Myike let the rosaries loose.

He threw them one at a time. A few missed, but two caught on its free arm and right leg.

Its attention turned away from its captive to look at the blue beads latched on to his limbs as Myike shouted "DEMON BEGONE!"

The beads immediately grew to bind the demon and started shocking it, causing him to drop the almost unconscious Saira.

She braced herself for the fall to the hard ground, but instead she landed on something soft… that was rubbing her bottom. This woke her up.

"You jerk!" she shouted at the makeshift cushion before slapping him across the face.

"What?! I just saved you! Aren't you even grateful? I should have expected this." Myike interjected indignantly.

"You could have been quicker. Now I'm gonna be sore for weeks."

The youkai let out a feral roar, and the arm Saira had just vacated came swinging down at them. Myike roughly pushed Saira out of the way and bore the brunt of the attack which knocked him forcefully into a nearby tree.

Saira hit the ground on her cracked ribs and was about to swear at him for pushing her when she saw the demon hit him. He landed against the thick tree trunk with an audible thwack that nauseated her and then went still. The youkai watched the boy with something akin to joy in its' eyes.

Everything was quiet and moving so slowly, Saira thought she would go mad. She got up, looking at the tree in shock. Shakujou lay forgotten on the ground behind the ogre and the girl they were protecting cowered nearby. They were all watching him.

Then Myike moved. He slumped down the tree, coughing. He was alive, but Saira could see and smell his blood. Something inside her would not tolerate this.

She let the rage flow over her in waves. He may have been a moron, but NO ONE was allowed to hurt him. The anger consumed her and she felt stronger. Her nails grew out and toughened into short claws as her hair streaked silver.

The Oni evidently noticed the change in the miko at his feet and brought back his arm again to pound her into the ground. Saira's golden eyes flashed and she was gone before the swing was halfway concluded.

She leapt to his back and her claws extended as she swiped the youkai in a wide crosshatch. "REIKON TSUME!" she cried as glowing lines formed in the wake of her claws ripping the demon to pieces.

She landed in the mess, panting, her claws shortening again as she looked at her hands wonderingly. Then she rushed over to her fallen companion.

He was still only semi-conscious. She been right, he had coughed up some blood, which meant he had to be taken to a healer soon. She could have done it herself, but she didn't have the right supplies.

Saira waved a hand in front of his face and he looked up at her blearily. "Myike, are you okay?"

"Am I okay?! I just got knocked into a damn tree and she asks if I'm alright!" he cried, addressing the morning sky.

Saira looked a little put out. "I take it as a yes then. Jeez, it was only a question!" She knew better than to whack him one. He was still injured. She'd wait until he was better to give him his comeuppance.

Myike looked back at her in surprise. "Um…Saira? You better check out a mirror…" Obviously taking in her new appearance. "Shit. Are you still you? Do you have any homicidal thoughts right now? Because I'm a friend. Don't hurt me."

She gave him a light slap for that one. "Of course I'm still me you moron!" She helped him sit up before remembering the girl. "Hey! Are you going to come out now? That thing's dead."

She appeared suddenly and kneeled down before them. "Thank you so much, Houshi-sama, Miko-sama. I was so afraid."

This time it was Myike who spoke. "Who are you anyway? Why was that demon after you? Ogres are hired hands. They don't attack unless ordered."

"My name is Mikkoku. My father was the prominent Lord of this land, but the castle was seized. I was ordered to find a lord whom I could marry that would raise an army against father's conquerors to reclaim these lands to my family. I have no idea why a youkai would try to kill me. Perhaps the demons are allied with the man who stole my father's title." Mikkoku said all this with her tremulously sweet voice, her clear green eyes watering. Myike was drooling.

"Looking for a man, eh? Well I-"

"Don't listen to him. He's just a farm boy." Saira interrupted. Myike pouted at her. "So since you seem to know these lands well, do you think you could guide us to a village? I have to get my girl-crazy friend here to a healer quickly."

Mikkoku nodded. "That would be agreeable to me. It is the least I could do in return for slaying that demon for me. But afterwards I must hasten West to fulfill my father's last request."

Saira grinned at her. "We're heading West as well. Why not travel together? We could offer our protection and you could guide us through these lands. Better for both of us."

Myike grinned in a different way. "Yes. Please travel with us. We would be honored to have your companionship."

_Jeez, he must really be missing the girls back home. He's never this polite, _Saira thought as they waited for the Lady Mikkoku to reply.

"Of course," she smiled companionably.

After a brief breakfast, they were ready to begin their hike anew and get away from the nasty demon parts.

Saira dug through her faded yellow bag and found a mirror among all the other ramen and junk in the enormous pack. "Wow."

Her hair had faded back from silver and was now a uniform gray. A lot lighter than her usual coloring. The claws weren't changing back either, but weren't completely noticeable. They looked like very sharp fingernails at the moment.

_Retractable_, she thought wryly. _How convenient_.

She was a little worried to say the least. The transformation was happening much more rapidly than she would have liked.

_At this rate it'll be too late before we even get close to finding this 'Toutousai'_.

Saira set aside her worries and put the mirror away as she tied her wild hair back out of her face. She felt sick every time she thought about what would happen if it was too late.

_How responsible were my parents? They could have at least prepared my fosters for this kind of thing. _

_'They didn't plan on dying…'_ Her uncle's words came back to her.

_Well, I don't plan on dying. Or giving up my soul. I don't even want to be a fucking youkai! _

Mikkoku's voice reached her ears. "Saira-sama? We should start off if we want to reach the village by nightfall…"

"I'm coming." She replied sullenly and the three, Myike limping behind the girls, started off down the road, bags in tow.

_After getting a seal from Toutousai, maybe I'll stop at that place Miroku said those odd lights and the blast came from all those years ago. My parents resting place, apparently. Then I can put all this crap behind me. _

_Maybe I'll find out how they died. Or something useful to me. Or get some closure. _

_I vowed to find out exactly what happened. I promised Souta. _

_And I have to know. _


	8. On Market Day

-Saira-

**-Saira- **

**Chapter 8:** On Market Day

Saira was getting annoyed. Though she was the one that had suggested that Mikkoku join them, she was quickly tiring of her.

She had thought to gain an ally against Myike. To have someone with a sense of direction in their group. To have someone to strike up a conversation with besides the ever-present pervert.

She had thought wrong.

Mikkoku seemed to have latched onto Myike. Saira had barely spoken to her twice.

What could a princess and a farm-boy have in common you ask? They seemed to have attached themselves to the most immediate topic at hand.

Her.

"Well she does seem to be a bit ill-tempered." The delicate Mikkoku stated thoughtfully. Myike and Mikkoku were deep in discussion again. _They_ didn't have the bag to carry.

Saira stiffened.

"…And one time she got so mad that she blew up one of the neighbor's cows! You should of seen the blo-"

Saira stopped walking ahead of the couple, her eyes shadowed by her now silver hair. She caught Myike by his rat tail. And yanked. Hard.

"Ow!"

"Injured or not, if you don't stop telling stories about me you're dead." She stated flatly.

"Yeesh. Fine." Mumbling. "You'd think she'd be grateful I didn't tell about the time she 'accidentally'-"

Myike was interrupted abruptly as his head connected with the ground. Saira dusted off her hands and continued on her merry way.

"Oh dear. Are you all right Myike-sama?" Mikkoku asked, helping the poor boy to his feet.

He groaned in response. "I don't think my legs will hold me, Mikkoku-hime. Is it possible you could aid me?"

"Of course." The Lady replied graciously as she allowed him to use her to support his weight.

Saira snickered from the front. _Here it comes._

But it didn't. Myike was well behaved the whole rest of the way to the village.

--

They reached it just before sunset. It was a pretty little town that the forest at its' borders threatened to swallow up with darkness in the young twilight.

They immediately went to the village shrine. Myike needed treatment for his wounds and new concussion. He looked almost ready to collapse.

The trek right after the battle must have taken a lot of his energy.

_He looks like crap_, Saira observed as she called on the healers in the building.

They seemed a little frightened of Saira, with her strange eyes and silver hair. However when they saw that she had brought them a wounded man and that she was dressed in the garb of a miko, they let them inside with little hesitation.

Myike, for his part, perked right up when he saw the pretty young healer in charge of him and leapt into a sick pallet, grinning.

Saira set her pack against the wall and stood with Mikkoku until an older miko beckoned Saira forward.

"Were you not injured as well, child? Allow one of us to tend to your wounds."

It was Saira's turn to be nervous. She didn't like others touching her. Especially people she didn't know. She could deal with her own injuries. Her ribs didn't really pain her that much…

Myike looked up at Saira to see her internal struggle in her eyes. "Oi, Saira. Let them heal you. You can't do it by yourself and I saw you get hurt."

Well, who asked him!

She thought about refusing just because she could, but relented when the throbbing pain hit her. She wouldn't be able to travel well with broken ribs.

"Fine," Saira agreed finally, as though she was doing them a favor, and dropped onto another mat.

--

The next morning was the weekly market day for the prosperous village. How lucky for our travelers, who were sorely in need of more food and other supplies.

"I need a sword." Saira said simply.

She had left Myike in the care of the priestesses, and Mikkoku to her own devices. Saira had her own business to attend to and she was starting to find the princess extremely annoying.

She was just _way_ too perfect. She always spoke sweetly to everyone, never swore, or showed anger. It was getting on Saira's nerves.

_Myike seems to be trying to impress her too! What a stupid moron! She was as good as betrothed anyway. Why would he bother? He was just so- Argh! _

Whatever. He could do what he liked. Saira really didn't care. Really.

She just needed someone to work out all this frustration on. "Listen buddy! I need a sword _now_! I can't wait and I'm on an extremely tight schedule."

The beefy man didn't seem intimidated by the silver-haired priestess in the least. "…And I'm tellin' ya it be takin' at the least of three days to forge. And it'll cost to rush it at that."

_Shit_. The teen cursed inaudibly. She didn't have the cash for a sword. She barely had enough for more food. They couldn't travel on empty stomachs. Or at least that weakling Myike couldn't.

Suddenly there was a loud knock at the Smithy's back entrance. He went to answer the call with a grunt in her direction, which she took to mean 'I'll be back'.

_Perfect. _

Saira seized her convenient opportunity and hopped over to the already-finished custom jobs.

There must've been a lot of warriors in this vicinity to have gotten so many orders.

She hustled to testing out a few of the blades weights and picked out a fairly simple katana that was similar to her old one.

Satisfied, she took out the old blade she had salvaged from her bottomless bag. She had 'masking taped' it back together. Saira replaced the new with the old on the high shelf that held the new swords.

It would buy her some time, but she figured he would notice sooner or later. Hopefully later when they were already gone from the village.

She headed for the outdoor market, reveling in the clear day without a shred of guilt. She swung the sword a bit. She was going to be saving a lot of innocent people with this weapon. She was a priestess after all.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and jumped a little before she saw who it was. Saira resisted the urge to smack Myike into the ground for that one. He already had bandages on his head. _Maybe another punch in the stomach._

He raised his hands up in defense when he saw her appraising look. "Whoa, hey. I'm still an invalid. You wouldn't hit a helpless person, would you?" He added hopefully.

She growled at him but continued on her way. "Oh yeah, thanks for the opening Myike. How did you keep him busy?" Saira asked in passing.

The human boy smirked at her and replied cockily. "That was easy. I merely explained how I am a squire for a rich nobleman that had heard of the Smith's work and wanted his three-hundred guardsmen re-outfitted and armed with the richest metals he could use. The smith said he'd get started on them right away. Not the sharpest tool in the box, but what a hard worker."

"I appreciate the new sword, but shouldn't you still be resting? You did take a real beating yesterday." Saira was a little concerned for her friend although he was an annoying, conniving little jerk a lot of the time.

"Nah, it was getting stuffy in that shrine and the kind women gave me a tonic to help with the damage inside. I feel fine." He lied, keeping his face turned so that she wouldn't see the swollen red hand prints marring the other side of his face.

"Right," She said dismissively as they looked at the carts and crates set up as tables along the dirt streets.

After buying a large bag of rice and depositing it to Myike who was dubbed the grocery carrier for being in her presence, she caught a middle-aged man beckoning to them from across the way. She moved to his display after checking that he wasn't referring to anyone else.

"Yes?" She asked him politely. Myike was still struggling under the pile of goods he was forced to carry.

The man looked around forty and his windswept hair was brownish-red matted with gray. His eyes were a clear, bright blue. "I had something I thought you might be interested in, young Miko."

Saira's curiosity piqued and she came closer the grisly man. "And what would that be?" She asked, forgoing politeness.

"This." he replied, placing something into her hands and closing them around it. "I know you are on a dangerous quest. It could even destroy your spirit. This will bring you luck."

Saira opened her hands slowly and Myike leaned over his pile of supplies to get a better look.

Inside was a little glass mushroom. It was a beautiful piece of glasswork. There were no flaws in it.

"Wow. It's very nice, sir. But we don't have the extra money to be spending on something like this." Saira said after a moment.

Myike was still staring at the little mushroom, entranced. It was the same feeling he got from the well's clearing in Inuyasha's Forest and that old tree. Magic.

"No, Priestess. It is a gift. Should you ever need of help it is said that all you have to do is call upon it. The mushroom will bring it forth." The man smiled at the girl and added. "Good luck and safe journey."

"Ok, then. Have a nice day and thank you." Saira tugged Myike with her as she sped away from the strange merchant. "I think he was a little touched in the head. 'The mushroom will bring it forth'. That's ridiculous. I mean, magical mushrooms?" She snickered and went to throw it out when Myike surprised her.

"If you don't want it Saira, I'd like to hold onto it. It's kind of a strange trinket but I like it." He took it from her outstretched hand.

"Suit yourself. But you'll have to keep it. It'll get crushed in the bag."

Myike had felt tired after the morning shopping and went back to the shrine for some more rest before heading out on the morrow. The priestesses were kind enough to let them stay with them until they were ready to continue.

Saira was healing rapidly despite having quite a few damaged ribs. All her cuts and bruises were faded already as well. She heard the healers saying that her recovery was almost unnatural. It made her a little uncomfortable hanging around the shrine.

Myike, although having more wounds than he had come to the shrine for healing because of certain habits of his, was already feeling better and wanted to be on the road. Maybe their tonics and salves had been working, but Saira had a feeling it was more that he wanted to be away from all the beatings he was getting from angry women.

She wandered near the forest with a few more provisions. Her shopping was done for the day and the sun was slowly beginning to sink below the trees. A chill settled in the air that was unnatural for the summer and Saira shivered involuntarily.

That was when she caught a glance of the white and red through the trees and felt a trace of powerful magic in the air. The call of magic beckoned her and she dropped her bags to follow the ghostly, silent personage.


	9. The Tragic Priestess' Warning

-Saira-

**-Saira-**

**Chapter 9:** The Tragic Priestess' Warning

Saira wandered into the dark forest in something like a trance.

Her groceries were forgotten as she followed the red and white figure. The aura of magic drew her and the strong scent of graveyard soil made her dizzy.

She vaguely wondered why she was tracking the figure, but her mind went blank again as what now appeared to be a woman only a few years older than herself beckoned her into a clearing. The apparition was calmly aware of the girl's presence as if she had been merely leading her the whole time.

Saira stepped into the clearing and faced the woman, examining her.

Her raven hair, which fell past her waist, was tied in a loose ponytail at the back, loops spilling from the tie over the front of her miko robes, which were the same style as Saira's own.

The woman had a confident air about her, but it was also thick with sorrow. Her hard gray eyes were looking straight through Saira as if examining her very spirit. Cold and calm.

Saira finally found her voice. She was angry. "Who are you? Why have you summoned me?!"

She knew what a summoning felt like. Kaede had tried it on her once. Now that she thought about it, it was probably to test how much demon she had in her.

Summonings only worked on those with demon blood. It would hone in on a specific demon in an area and lure them out. It was irresistible and when the demon was brought in, it was exterminated immediately, before it could wake up from its trance. Mikos who could perform summonings often lived in exterminator villages so they could keep their homestead clear of malevolent presences.

Saira had known what summonings were when Kaede had tried it on her. It was a small betrayal in her eyes. The old woman hadn't even warned her she was going to use it. A spell that took away free will, Saira had never totally forgiven Kaede for that.

Now she was beyond pissed that someone had done it to her again. Wasn't she a miko? Couldn't she have shielded herself? No. Because she was part demon. Again with the fun weaknesses!

"Answer me!" Saira demanded of the wraith.

The woman's infuriating poker face was as cool as ever. "My name is Kikyo, but that does not matter at the present. I summoned you because I have business with you."

As the trance wore off further Saira could finally sense the woman's aura. "You're not human." she breathed. "What business do you have with me then?"

"It is about the journey you are undertaking, to find those who sired you. You may find answers there, but the past is best left buried. Uncovering your answers would only bring trouble. Give up that which you seek and return to your village." Kikyo demanded calmly.

Saira thought about revealing that she wasn't looking for her parents at the moment fleetingly. But decided she'd rather hear what the bitch had to say about what she could and could not do. Nobody ordered HER around!

"Going to the place of your parents' doom will only bring about destruction. You could awaken things that were meant to be sealed forever. The world would again be in danger and more lives would be forfeited for the sake of the Jewel. Darkness would reign." Kikyo turned slightly to watch the setting sun as she waited for Saira's response.

"The Jewel? You mean the Shikon no Tama?" Realization dawned on her. "You knew my father but- Didn't you die?"

"Yes. I was once the guardian of that cursed jewel. I died so that it would never be released into the world again. My reincarnation released it back here a mere fifty years later and my soul was dragged back to life. It is sealed again for now. The Jewel will always try to find a way back into the world to corrupt it. I cannot let it be released again." She drew out her bow. "Will you give up your foolish search?"

Saira raised her eyebrows. Now she was being threatened? She hadn't even _done_ anything!

"And if I don't?" Saira asked, annoyed.

Kikyo notched an arrow. "Then I cannot let you leave this clearing, girl."

Saira watched as the undead miko's energy absorbed into the arrow.

_Oh shit. That looks like it'll pack a punch. _She immediately went for her new sword.

Shit again.

She had left it with her bags at the edge of the forest. Smart move. Now she had pissed off the priestess who was said to have been the most powerful to date. Even if she was dead, her soul would have kept a great amount of her spiritual powers.

_Great._ Saira sighed. I guess I could try a shield against it_. If it blows us both up mores the better. _

She concentrated her energy just as Kikyo let loose her glowing purification arrow.

Saira opened her eyes to witness the arrow coming straight at her. The shield didn't work! She dived to the side at the last moment and breathed a sigh of relief. Missed.

Unfortunately Kikyo just _had_ to have more than one arrow on her.

_Why?!_ Saira asked herself and she dodged again and landed on her still tender ribs. "Dammit! I just have to get into a fight without a weapon, don't I?!" she shouted a few choice obscenities as she kept dodging the flaming blue arrows in her wake.

She went into a crouch to stand again and was once again faced with an arrow coming at her face at warp speed. No time to dodge.

So she did what anyone would do when faced with a flying projectile. She reflexively tried to catch it.

And she did.

She looked at the arrow in her hands in amazement. She had caught an arrow! It wasn't even burnin- "OW!" That meant-

Saira dropped the arrow and ran as far away from the clearing as she could get with her demon-like speed, leaving Kikyo staring at her arrow. It should have blown Saira's hand off instead of merely burning.

Saira kept moving. She was not stupid enough to stick around after that.

She had touched another's purification arrow. Her energy had mixed with it. That meant that--

The explosion gave a satisfying boom before she reached the edge of the woods.

_Ha! That's what you get for threatening me! _For once she was glad of her combustible energies.

Myike was lying on his pallet fantasizing about Yume, one of the kind priestesses taking care of his wounds. He touched his cheek where she had marked him after he had tried to get to know her a little better. She had a really nice ass--

Myike was jerked out of his fantasy as Saira stomped into the shrine.

_She does not look happy._ "What's going on Saira? Bad shopping day?"

She merely sent him a glare. "Gather your stuff. We're leaving at dawn. Tell Mikkoku." With that said she lay on her pallet. Myike stared at her for a second, then mentally shrugged and obediently packed his strewn belongings.

Saira lay deep in thought into the night, long after the people of the shrine, Myike, and Mikkoku had already settled into bed for the night.

Kikyo had been adamant about keeping her away from her parent's resting place. She had even implied that they might not be dead. She shivered at the thought of them being like Kikyo.

Hopefully not. She had also mentioned sealings. _But I think that meant in accordance to the Jewel. Whatever it means; our plans have changed. I am going to my parents' grave. _

_If I can find it. _


	10. Under Another New Moon

-Saira-

**-Saira-**

**Chapter 10:** Under Another New Moon

"So she specifically told you not to go, how dangerous it was, that you could even put the world in peril, and you're STILL going?!" Myike asked Saira incredulously.

It was afternoon.

They had left the village several days earlier and Saira was just telling them about her sudden change in direction. They were no longer seeking rumors of the wandering Toutousai, but were on the road to her parents' grave, wherever the hell that was.

Mikkoku was trailing behind them, eyes downcast respectfully, thinking kami-knows-what.

"No, stupid. I'm going _because_ she told me I couldn't."

Myike blinked. "Oh." Jeez.

He brushed back a loose strand of hair in exasperation. _I hope what that zombie-woman said isn't true. I definitely want to stay clear of that accursed place. _

Now Myike wasn't truly cowardly, he just had an innate sense of self preservation. Something the miko, resolutely marching straight for the danger like a magnet, must have been lacking.

Saira was visibly fuming from her spot ahead of the small group.

_What is with all these strangers telling me what to do?! I'm sick of it! They can't order me around! This is MY trip. Gods! Not even a month of traveling and I've already had several attempts on my life! _

A month.

Saira's anger faded instantly. "Myike, what night of the moon's cycle is tonight?"

Myike turned to face her slowly. "Why…?"

She gave him an 'Are you that dumb?' look.

Wince.

"I don't know."

"You were supposed to be keeping track." she ground out slowly, her anger returning tenfold. "This was important. This was the whole reason you came!"

The boy winced. "I forgot." He smiled weakly. "Sorry?"

Saira just glared at him.

"Excuse me, Saira? I know the cycle of the moon tonight." said a sticky sweet voice from behind the arguing couple. Myike smiled at Mikkoku while noting the missing suffix. _That's odd, usually she doesn't speak so familiarly. _

"Yeah, what is it?" Saira asked irritably.

"New."

Myike and Saira both cursed.

"Are you sure?" Myike asked, trying to ignore Saira's accusing glare.

"Yes. Why? What's wrong, Myike-sama?" Mikkoku asked timidly.

Myike swiped at his stray bangs again, nervously. "You may want to camp a little away from us tonight, Hime. We'll have some family issues to be dealing with around sunset."

--

Dinner was uneventful.

Mikkoku offered to cook for their services to her as amateur youkai exterminators.

Actually she had just been talking to Myike as she said this. He had wasted no time after introductions bragging about his heritage. Descended of the head of a youkai exterminators' village and the most powerful houshis of their time.

_Bah! _

Saira didn't know about him having any spiritual powers. She had neither seen nor felt any hint of the ones he bragged of possessing as the youngest male of his line. She rolled her eyes as Mikkoku praised him for slaying the demon.

_He did no work! All he did was get knocked into a tree. Idiot. _Needless to say, she didn't protest when the princess tried her hand at cooking. Let her do the work! Saira didn't much feel like eating anyway.

Mikkoku began humming an annoying little tune as she proceeded to burn the rice.

_That's IT! She's evil! Everyone is trying to torture me! _

Myike joined in loudly taking samples of dinner from the kettle as he did so. Saira threw a rock at him.

Myike sighed. _She must be in a bad mood. I don't blame her, but everything'll be fine. _"Look at it this way, at least YOU remembered."

"I hope I bite your hand off." Saira replied idly.

--

Myike was setting up camp for her in the forest tonight. Saira had proclaimed it too dangerous to sleep in an inn. They had left Mikkoku with a small knife and a blanket from Saira's bag near the river. Myike had promised to be back to check on her after sunset. They weren't sure if Saira would keep transforming regularly on the New Moon since she had started transforming in the daylight hours as well, but they wanted to be safe anyway.

"Okay. So we've established you remember the chant." Saira said fingering the blue-beaded necklace that would restrain her for the night. "You can't start the spell till I start to change. Otherwise I'll attack you after the spell wears off before I change back." She tried not to show her nervousness. She didn't want to think about what would happen if she didn't transform back when the sun rose.

"Don't worry about it." Myike reassured her for the umpteenth time, then grinned. "I could always hit you with my staff if you get out of line."

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks. That really puts my mind at ease."

They both watched the sunset.

When she felt the beginnings of the transformation she calmly warned Myike, and he watched in fascination as her claws grew and the demon markings formed on her face.

Saira tried not to show any pain, but the queasy feeling in her stomach as her youkai blood overwhelmed her, combined with her growing agitation weren't making it any easier.

"What're you waiting for?! Start the spell, dumbass!"

Myike snapped out of his awe and began chanting.

The spell of Saira's necklace was special in that it lasted so long. Most subduing spells (that Myike had heard of) only lasted a few minutes at the most. But those spells were among Kaede's specialty and it had only taken her a few weeks to adjust the incantations enough so that it worked differently.

He watched with an odd sort of satisfaction as Saira effectively plopped on her back where she would be napping for the night.

By now the youkai's red eyes were glaring at him as she snarled ferociously.

He blew her a kiss jokingly. "Have a good sleep, Gaki." He threw the blanket on her quickly before the feral girl could make good on her threat to bite him.

_I'm not going anywhere near those fangs. _Myike was worried. He really was. But now that he knew she'd turn back to her old self in the morning he was starting to find the situation extremely amusing.

Smirk. _She can't get up off the ground until I say so! _

He was really very choked up about it.

However, man cannot survive without food. Myike began to eat his after-sunset-on-the-new-moon snack right in front of his demonic prisoner. "Mmmm. This chocolate's really good…"

Mikkoku innocently wandered toward the campsite at the sound of violent snarls and a girlish scream as Myike learned that, though the demon-girl couldn't get up because of the spell, she could still move her claws around limitedly.

"Houshi-sama?"

From Myike's position clinging to a nearby tree, "I wasn't scared!"

Realizing it was only Mikkoku, he retained his cool know-it-all demeanor. "Ahem. Hime? I thought you were going to stay by the river until I came for you."

The Lady sidled up to him. "I was, but-- What is that?!" Her startled outburst was provoked by a now very irate youkai tearing up her blanket with her sharp claws.

It seemed Mikkoku's presence had agitated her.

"Uhm . . . " _How to explain this?_ "That's Saira." _Getting straight to the point works._

Mikkoku's pretty face twisted into a hateful scowl, "Youkai."

He was a little stumped at that. Myike would've thought that it was obvious considering the girl had claws and fangs _beforehand_, but then again princesses weren't known for their deduction skills. "Don't worry yourself Mikkoku-sama. She'll soon be back to her old grumpy, partially youkai self."

The princess did not reply as she went closer to the mindless demon. The fire he had built earlier for Saira cast eerie shadows on the human girl's flawless face. The normally demure Lady looked almost malevolent in her intent as she watched the youkai, who went wild at the princess's close proximity, scarlet eyes flashing angrily.

"Maybe you shouldn't--" Myike started, remembering the sleeve of his shirt which now had a gargantuan tear from Saira's claws.

Mikkoku only held up a hand as she continued to stare. After a time she spoke again. "Why would you waste your time with this… thing? She is a vile creature, deserving only death. Why would a benevolent priest travel with one?"

Myike stared at her in open mouthed shock. Then his eyes hardened as the anger began to surface.

No one talked like that about his family.

"That 'thing' invited you to come with us as our charge. She offered to protect you. She arranged this journey, and in that way is our leader. Saira deserves your respect even in her weakness. I should abandon you here in the woods right now and let you be eaten by the real demons. You'd better leave before my anger gets the best of me." He replied coldly. His violet eyes for once were deadly serious as the spell of the fire was broken.

Mikkoku left quietly.

--

Saira blinked one eye open, squinting. The sun was in her eyes. She covered them as she slowly sat up rubbing her back. She always felt like she had a hangover after the new moon. It must've been the power in her blood suddenly ebbing away that drained her for the next morning.

She gradually got used to the sun and started her monthly examination and decided that she pretty much looked the same as the day before.

That was good. She still hadn't gotten used to the new hair color yet without adding something else to the list.

Saira eventually decided it might be good to get up and demand food. She suddenly had a huge appetite. She'd make Myike cook today. She didn't feel like it and Mikkoku's meal had been disgusting. Saira could tell from the look on Myike's face the night before when he forced it down cheerfully.

She looked around and spotted the sleeping boy only a few feet to the right propped against a tree, clutching his nicked staff to his chest.

_That's weird. He didn't leave to sleep near Mikkoku. I would've thought he wanted to be alone with her to cash in on all his flirting._

Saira smiled lightly. _Maybe I'll cook today._

She got up and was about to go to start the fire again when she noticed a shred of rags, which looked suspiciously like part of a shirt, by where she'd slept.

_What's this? _


	11. The Hidden Castle

-Saira-

**-Saira-**

**Chapter 11:** The Hidden Castle

Myike was tired. Very tired. And he didn't care who knew it. He could complain very loudly.

Saira stopped suddenly from her position at the head of the trio, silently made her way over to Myike, and lightly cracked him over the head with her fist. Then she started walking again.

That was another thing, Myike thought dizzily. Saira hadn't been hitting him as often lately. She'd been pretty distant since the new moon. It was worrying him. It was also costing him rest as she no longer paid _any_ attention to his ranting about having frequent stops. He sighed, letting his feet lead him, listening to the drone of the insects.

In the week that they had been traveling since the new moon, the hierarchy of the group had changed subtly. Saira was still the self-proclaimed leader of their group, but Myike and Mikkoku had ceased their normal bantering. The princess would pursue a conversation with the farm-boy and he would remain silent and indifferent.

Something weird was going on, Saira thought glancing back at him. Myike would do anything to impress a female, and here was a single heiress right in front of that idiot.

He only spoke to Saira now, to complain. Her hitting him had put him out of commission for the moment. It was still morning and the only sounds around were the crickets and tippety-tap of the Lady's slippers against the dirt trail.

It was a little unnerving to Saira. The quiet was starting to get to her…

"_Say something dammit!_"

Myike blinked at her sudden explosion. "Like what?" There really wasn't much to talk about. They hadn't gotten any leads yet. How could they?

Saira didn't know what the place they were headed for looked like, not that any villagers would trust her anyway with her demonic features and temper.

Myike had had the idea of asking around if anyone remembered some type of explosion in the area. So far they weren't having much luck in that prospect either. There were too many villages to cover and not enough positive answers.

So far the search had been pointless and Myike feared they were running out of time.

Saira was still fuming. "I don't know. Talk!"

"You just hit me for talking."

_Stupid logic! _No matter! She could find something to entertain herself!

With a huff Saira stormed ahead- and vanished into thin air.

Myike watched the tree line in shock.

How the-?

Looking around there was nothing but rocks and trees. He was about to call out to Mikkoku when he noticed another very important fact.

_I'm alone. _

"Hime?" Now he didn't normally like to initiate any type of talk between himself and the biased princess but this was serious.

Maybe she had gotten eaten or something. Oh well. "Saira?"

Now Saira didn't normally wander off, or vanish into thin air. Even in her worst tempers.

_Something weird's going on. It must have something to do with the danger around here. _

Though they didn't know the precise location of the grave of Saira's parents, they knew they were in the right area. Reports from villagers they had gotten stated so. Most of their memories weren't reliable from age so the group was traveling on guess work.

_Now, if I hadn't gotten turned around the demon-girl would've gone… that way! _

The spinning until you were dizzy and picking a random direction had never let Myike down before. He figured it'd be worth a try now.

It didn't let him down.

The boy tromped off in the direction he'd picked and was immediately hit with an odd tingling as he passed through something that felt like a film. The air around his body glowed and charged with blue light energy and he could feel the magic all around him.

It was making him slightly nauseous.

He felt great resistance and pressure as he moved through it. Something was trying to keep him from passing. He could feel his own aura fighting against the blockage. Myike felt like he was drowning, he couldn't breathe. The magic was so strong here. He concentrated on the energy he felt around him, trying to push his way through.

The pressure finally started to die down.

He came out on the other side of the 'wall' and promptly fell to his knees, completely drained. He sat there panting and bracing himself on his legs, trying to catch his breath.

"What took you so long? I didn't leave you guys that far behind," came a cranky voice. Myike looked up and standing in front of him was none other than the very demonic priestess he'd been looking for. "Get up and take a look at this, Lazy. Jeez, you'd think we hadn't just taken a break four hours ago."

She was as understanding as ever.

"Hold on" -pant- "a second."

She waited a second. "Done yet?"

"Are you saying that girl's not here?" he asked suddenly. He had a growing suspicion…

"What girl? Mikkoku-san? I thought you were watching her."

_So I was right. It must've been a barrier. Himes don't normally have holy powers. _"Did you feel anything when you came here?"

"Come on, Myike. Stop with the questions. We can look for the princess later. I just found something really important." She helped him up, and although he was a little unsteady on his feet at first, he had regained enough energy to walk properly.

The boy followed her through the thicket he had entered from that strong barrier and to a tall hedge. Saira reached under one and started pulling some branches out of the way of a little wooden gate. It was quite old and aged, looking as if it would fall down at any moment. She pushed it aside roughly and it collapsed.

She stepped through first, followed by Myike, whose eyes widened in astonishment.

Before them, was a ruined mansion. The biggest castle he had ever seen, but then again, he was a 'farm boy'.

According to that immense spiritual barrier around it and his newly discovered priestly intuition, this was the place they'd been searching for.

They'd found the grave.

--

Saira was so proud of herself.

She'd just wandered aimlessly around Japan for a month and a half and still managed to end up where she wanted to get to. Now she could get the answers she'd wanted to find for so long.

Mikkoku's disappearance didn't bother her at all. It was still daylight and not many large demons came out during the day. She could evade the forest creatures easily enough if she wasn't a complete half-wit.

Who was she kidding? Saira was just glad the girl was out of her hair. Lady Mikkoku could go search for her new husband by herself.

Saira really did feel bad for Myike. He was pale and drawn and she could only guess it was from his worry over the girl. She felt a spike of jealousy, but pushed it down as they continued to search the halls of the abandoned castle.

It looked not so much a castle as it looked like an abandoned battlefield. The state rooms didn't retain much damage since they were on the outside of where there had been some kind of fire, but the area inside was completely leveled. It seemed as if the rooms had been cleared and unlived in before whatever had happened there. Absolutely nothing was left.

There were dark burns everywhere, reminiscent of some kind of explosion. This, more than anything, made Saira feel that they were on the right track.

There was another uncharacteristic silence, but this time it didn't bother Saira. She was too busy lost in her own thoughts, excitement, and fear.

They were making their way to the center where most of the damage was. The main courtyard. The hollow around it inside the castle was completely burned away. There was nothing left.

They stepped out into the courtyard and Saira blinked in the bright sunlight. It WAS like a battlefield. Or a graveyard. It was deathly still. Not a thing grew in the dust settled on the ground. There were no animals, trees, nothing.

"There's nothing here?" Saira thought aloud. "It can't be."

She stepped further out, looking at the blank expanse.

"How-? But there was supposed to be something here!"

Myike came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "There's still time to find Toutousai."

"No!" She pulled back, throwing a tantrum like a child. "It isn't fair. There was supposed to be something important here. I could _feel_ it. There has to be something here! We're so close."

Saira started running through the empty expanse. "There has to be something." she muttered.

Myike waited patiently and guiltily as she searched desperately. He had been sure they would find answers in this castle as well. But it looked as though it truly was just a grave. That they would never find out what had happened to Saira's parents and only wasted time and let Saira get further into her 'illness'. He should never have--

"Myike!" He started at her shout and quickly ran to where her voice had come from.

"What is it?" he asked breathlessly, his eyes widening as she pointed.

There was a giant serpent youkai attached to an old crumbling section of wall that he hadn't noticed before. There was something else strange about this youkai. It was pinned to the wall with an arrow. And, although the monster had obviously been dead for quite a few years, part of the monster was glowing bright pink.

He stared open mouthed for a moment before he noticed that Saira was moving. Her golden eyes clouded as if she was in some sort of trance, she reached out to touch the demon. She looked almost… charmed.

At the last possible second Myike realized the danger of the situation.

Her touching a glowing demon could be really bad, especially with her bad luck and clashing energies.

"Saira _stop_!" He yelled as he rushed to grab her.

But it was too late.

Her hand brushed the pink glow in the snake's ribs as she turned to look at him questioningly. She looked almost half asleep. "What?"

The boy watched as the most horrific thing he could ever dream of at that moment, happened.

The snake's broken and rotting flesh began to reform. Brilliant red scales began to grow on its back and belly. It lifted its hulking head and opened its mouth to hiss menacingly at them, showing off its pus-yellow teeth. Then its glowing eyes opened to glare at them.

Myike had no way of knowing that he was on his way to seeing many worse things.


	12. Glow of the Jewel

-Saira-

**-Saira- **

**Chapter 12:** Glow of the Jewel

_Why do things like this always happen to me? Am I that bad a guy? _

These were the thoughts going through Myike's mind as he caught the semiconscious Saira and watched the snake demon resurrect itself.

Was it fair that a healthy and devilishly handsome seventeen year old boy could survive countless attacks from women, his best friend-turned-demon nearly mauling him to death, and a dozen or so "kind" temple priestesses with ample breasts beating him to a bloody pulp, only to be chomped to bits by an ill-tempered venomous snake demon without securing a male heir for his line?

No. It wasn't.

This would be about the time Saira would make a smart-ass comment like 'Snakes eat their victims whole.' If she happened to be conscious and if she could read his thoughts. Neither things she could do right now which really didn't help at all. As a matter of fact neither would that comment have.

_Augh! Come on! I can think up a solution_.

. . . . .

_Shit. Shit. Shit. What am I gonna do? I don't fight. _

Myike was still drained from dissolving the barrier earlier and to make matters worse he had spent the last moments he had on this earth thinking about snakes' eating habits.

_My father would be ashamed of me. _

HIIIIISSSSSSS . . . .

The snake had obviously decided this was the time to attack its prey and Myike was barely able to dive out of the way as the snake violently struck the ground where he had been standing.

He clutched tighter to Saira in his arms. He couldn't dodge forever.

The snake struggled to pry its sharp, deadly fangs out of the ground as Myike gulped.

_That_ was a deep gouge.

As he looked around for some way to escape he noticed the old looking prayer beads and faded paper where the previously dead snake had been.

The remnants of a prayer circle. Useless to him.

But why was the demon killed and sealed like that? Surely it couldn't have resurrected itself.

At least he wished it couldn't have, as the snake turned on him, very much alive, and seeming to want its prey's undivided attention before it was devoured. It circled around them on its belly and tensed to strike when Myike suddenly remembered he had a holy weapon on his person.

He clumsily held Shakujou before him and the girl.

…And waited as if he expected it to leap out and do the defending.

Myike sighed and concentrated on calling out any kind of power his ancestors could have imbued him with. They should've. Three generations of his were powerful _monks_ after all. They had to have _some_ power even if they were also legendary cheats and scoundrels.

He knew he'd inherited the quick tongue and the appreciation of the female form. But although he did have Saira in a very vulnerable position at the moment a) Saira would kill him when she woke up and b) The demon would kill them before that…

Then the snake seemed to decide it liked its prey spaced out with a dopey look on its' face and went in for the kill. Myike finally snapped to attention and winced.

Probably not the right time for fantasizing either.

His ancestors would've been proud.

Myike sat very still, head bowed, staff clutched in hand, waiting patiently for the afterlife when he noticed he was glowing. Myike looked up and saw what looked like a fairly large blue bubble around him and Saira. He blinked once before his eyes widened in realization.

_I created a barrier? _

The youkai looked a little pissed. It must have been hungry after being dead for however long.

Myike gently placed Saira down on the ground and examined it. It wasn't very big, only big enough to fit the two inside comfortably, and it was already weakening as he felt himself starting to get tired.

It's now or never then.

Myike stepped through it cautiously after placing one of the various charms he had on his person and praying to Kami it wouldn't break. All the barriers he'd seen would break when walked through by the caster. But he had no choice. He HAD to fight or they'd both die anyway. Casting that barrier had been an accidental second chance. He had to make the most of it.

Myike winced as he stepped out and looked back. It hadn't broken but the aura of it had changed slightly. He watched the unconscious girl suspiciously.

_Never mind. There's no time now, even if she's helping with the barrier, I cast it. If I fall it'll break. _The boy raised his weapon at the dokuhebi and said a silent prayer that he wasn't committing suicide for nothing.

The hebiyoukai stared at him calculatingly in turn. Myike averted his eyes. He'd heard snakes could entrance their prey. Maybe that had been what had happened with Saira.

"Stupid thing." he muttered and dug around in his pockets for more lightning rosaries. The youkai still studied him curiously. _Maybe he's not hungry anymore? _

The teenager ran as fast as he could and struck at the snake's side with his staff, amazed when it slashed through the beast's tough hide easily. A gargantuan chunk of the snake's body slid off.

Myike's silent cheering was suddenly halted when the snake struck at him. Luckily the sticky black blood spilling from its side like poison slowed it down and made it less than accurate. Myike made another slash at it cockily, this time deeper on its other side. Amazingly this demon seemed pretty weak.

Until it shed its skin.

Myike's eyes widened. Its chest glowed with a purple light. The snake seemed to have another whole new body under its previous torn flesh. Its' eyes stared viciously. Its perfect red scales shined. The hebi was whole again.

Not good.

He brandished Shakujou frantically and hit it on its side once again, but this time he bounced back and skidded on the ground a few feet. Its hide was like iron. When before, his staff had cut through it like butter, the snake now seemed twice as strong. But maybe the whole of it wasn't that tough yet...

Myike stood shakily and held his staff before him, one hand behind his back as the demon came for him again. His face remained impassive as its' mouth opened wide to swallow him.

The boy only saw black for two seconds before the youkai was cooked.

Lightning beads were very convenient.

His wager had been correct. Its' flesh was still soft on the inside.

Myike wiped at the sweat pouring down his face and released the barrier as he plopped on the ground. He was exhausted again. It seemed that spiritual powers drained you physically. He didn't notice the small scratch on his upper arm.

He turned hearing a groan. Saira came around with a confused look in her golden eyes. "Great timing, sleepy head. You missed all the fun." Myike smiled weakly, gesticulating at the bloody mess, though Saira could smell the disgusting roasted flesh just fine.

She sat up and ran over to him. "What happened?" The miko tried not to sound worried and ended up sounding agitated. She never was good at hiding her emotions.

"You woke that thing up. You know it was in a prayer circle for a reason."

She blinked once and hugged him enthusiastically. "You mean you slayed it all by yourself? I'm so proud of you!" Saira immediately stopped smirking at his pained expression. "Hey. You okay?"

He pointed silently. The deceased snake was quivering as its' chest glowed with an eerie pastel light.

They both watched it incredulously as the flesh stared repairing itself again at the center of its chest.

"It must have a talisman!" Saira shouted. Without thinking she jogged up to it taking out her sword and sliced it to bits in one swift motion.

Myike twitched. _Sure, its' easy for her._

With a grunt and a disgusted face she cut its chest open and ripped out the glowing piece. Immediately the parts stopped moving and rotted to dust flying on the wind.

"What is it?" Myike asked as he stumbled over. The fight had taken a lot out of him it seemed.

A small black jewel the size of a large marble rested in her hands. "It must be some kind of powerful article for that thing to resurrect itself. Why would someone just _leave_ it here?"

Myike opened his mouth to say that technically she had resurrected the demon by breaking the enchantments surrounding it when suddenly the courtyard was filled with sound.

It was low at first, a few random clangs, shouting. But gradually it grew louder. It sounded like screaming.

The couple looked around dazedly. Saira wanted to cover her ears.

The wind started to pick up.

Saira looked down to see the jewel swirling in her hands. It began to glow a fierce neon pink pulsing scarlet.

Myike watched silently. He wanted to tell her to drop it and run but he was caught in the entrancing light of the jewel.

The wind swirled faster and faster as the sounds of battle grew nearer…


	13. First Encounter

-Saira-

**-Saira- **

**Chapter 13:** First Encounter

Saira watched in horrified fascination as the marble-sized jewel pulsed in her hand. "What the hell's going on?!" She yelled over the noise.

The wind only got louder in answer with the intensity of a storm.

Myike watched the jewel warily. Finally getting ahold of himself, head swimming with the all the energy swirling around them, he pushed the iridescent globe out of her hands.

Saira was barely given time to cry out in protest before Myike grabbed her around the waist and started to drag her away from it. He _really_ didn't want to be around for the explosion when it came.

Saira, meanwhile, was about to punch him in the head to teach him that she could take care of herself when a shock wave emanated from the jewel and knocked them both flat to the barren, packed dirt.

That's when it happened.

The unnatural wind seemed like it was coming from _inside_ the jewel. It opened up and the intense hurricane began to blow out at them instead of into the unknown wrath of the trinket. Saira stared in awe as the shadows began to swim around the courtyard. She could actually see murky shapes beginning to emerge. They spread and took form from out of the jewel; the gloom begetting flesh in the red light of the setting sun.

Another blast of light, this time pure white, filled the clearing and the two were forced to shut their eyes or risk being blinded by its' brilliance.

Then the sounds of brawling and war weren't far away. They were right on top of them. The teenagers were about a dozen yards away from a true battle.

"Die, you bastard!" The clang of a sword reached their ears and Myike was the one to raise his head first, weakly. The boy blinked a few times and shook Saira roughly as she stared ahead of them in blank shock.

The warlike sounds were not made by two conflicting nobleman's armies, but by the strangest group of people ever seen together in nearly two decades.

First there was a man with curling black hair like rising smoke. His features was carefully blank, the look of a young lord carved on his aristocratic face. Only his red eyes held a hint of the destruction and darkness he was capable of. The malice was so thick in the air Myike would've half-sworn that if he lifted his hand it could have melted into his skin to poison him.

Beside the dono, was a young woman in rich robes with eyes that matched the prince's in shade and her pointed ears, smartly decorated with jade, marked her as youkai. Her face belied more expression and color than her counterpart and she smirked maliciously, waving her colorful fan, the source of the wind. Somehow the small fan created the swirling wind that surrounded them and bounced off the ruined stonewalls to tussle black hair and had the strength to knock a sword from a man's hands.

A young girl cloaked in white with obsidian eyes watched with disinterest from behind the demoness, alert and watching over (guarding?) what looked to be a human boy around the age of thirteen, who lay pale and unmoving on the ground. His face was ashen.

The waif looked far from the innocent child she appeared. Perhaps she had killed him.

"Try not to hurt Kohaku!"

_Kohaku?_ Where had he heard that name before?

Myike looked to Saira, wondering if she would know where his memory failed him, but for once she was silent. He followed her gaze and blanched in shock himself.

In the courtyard were the two people they had been searching for. Two who were supposed to have died a young life ago. They seemed very much alive at the moment.

The couple fought in sync. To be able to anticipate the other's movement was a skill, which could only have come from years of fighting battles with one another. The woman skillfully restrung her bow having just loosed a purifying arrow. The miko's dress was simple, it could have been peasant garb except that the tunic had been shortened so that it ended just above her trousers. Sweat flowed off of her face and it was clear she was tiring.

_I feel your pain_, Myike thought. He didn't know how his father could've handled being a monk if the strain on self was this tolling. He swiped at the sweat beginning to trickle down his own face, breathing deeply as he looked to the man in the duo.

He was a dog demon. Or half, since the boy was fairly sure of which dog demon it was. The man stood to the side of the main fray, fighting the monster his mate had weakened.

The monster he was up against resembled nothing more than a giant cabbage with legs if that could be imagined. The thing's eyes stood out on top of its face raised on stalks. It used it legs seldomly and rolled around dodging attacks from its nemesis' fang blade. Despite its seeming fierceness the red-garbed warrior seemed to be getting the better of it. His silver hair swirled around him as he cursed creatively at the demon while it dodged his sword attacks. This scenario was familiar somehow.

Both opponents were exhausted and wounded but the son of the Great Dog Demon of the West had half an eye on the woman with the bow and was ready to dive in front of his Chosen at a moment's notice.

Finally the monster was blown to pieces, the fang creating its' own blast of storm. Apparently the slimy youkai hadn't dodged fast enough that time.

The hanyou limped back over to the miko victoriously and they stood facing the others proudly, ready to strike.

In response, the lord showed a hint of a smile and held up a hand to the wind witch. She obediently brought the enchanted fan to her side and the storms stopped. The prince smiled wickedly flashing a glance toward the teenagers, who had thereto fore remained unnoticed, and transformed his extended left arm into a blade of flesh.

The man truly was a monstrosity. He cut himself with the talon and his flesh flowed and molded to his will, writhing and congealing as they watched in horror.

The air became thicker as tar-like purple smoke pervaded the area. Miasma. Only demons of massive power and malevolence could create such a poison.

Saira covered her mouth with her sleeve and was about to advise her childhood friend to do the same while they attempted to run for cover when he cried out in pain.

For the first time she really looked at Myike since she had come to again. The boy's face was flushed with fever, his eyes glittering wearily and his breathing harsh and raspy. She supposed _that_ could've been from how much energy he had used that day through their travels and the fighting of the beasts she had unwittingly released upon them. She cursed herself for not watching over him better.

Of all the incompetent things to do! To bring that stupid farmer here and then just let him-!

Crushing her worries beneath an air of impatience she started to drag him up by his robe. "Hurry up. We've got to get out of this war zone before--" That's when she noticed him shaking and clutching his right hand weakly. She gasped in shock.

There was a puncture in it. Like he had stabbed himself by accident, though for the life of her she couldn't think what could have made a hole like that. The flesh around it was perfect. There was only the puncture, no blood swelled around it, like rubber slit with a knife.

Myike grit his teeth in pain, clutching at the wounded hand like a drowning man to driftwood. Saira just looked on helplessly not sure of what would happen next and no longer paying any attention to the strangers' duel.

Then there came a small sound that chilled her to the bone. It was not unlike the sound of a fierce storm, a light yet piercing howling arose from _inside_ the wound and Myike felt the first pull from inside. Saira grabbed the hand from him and looked at it while he hissed. The pull was getting stronger. It was like a balloon had popped and the air was seeping out; except it was pulling in.

Suddenly a small pebble flew up from the ground towards the hole, cutting the boy's arm on the way up before being sucked in. The puncture expanded.

"This isn't good."

Myike gave her a blank stare. The pull of the wind wound was rapidly getting more violent until the boy finally pushed her hands away from his, holding the black hole away from her and uprooting a dead tree at the edge of the courtyard. Crawling away from Saira so she wouldn't be harmed by it, he watched, amazed, as it shrunk and the hole widened slightly to accommodate its' pull into his body.

The lord and his minions, who had hitherto ignored the witnesses to their battle, now looked over at the prone boy. The man watched, seemingly unaffected until the tree was uprooted. "The monk." he hissed, monstrous tentacles waving in the air. As he was distracted the dog-demon took the moment to attack while the miko-girl launched herself at the other demon's counterpart.

The red-eyed man gave an exasperated sigh while easily blocking the silver-haired man's attacks and nodded at his servant. "Kagura. The Saimyoushou." Though the boy he assumed was the monk looked less than able to attack, the wind wound was still a formidable distraction.

The demoness raised an eyebrow. _Didn't the bugs just follow them everywhere now? _

At the woman's obvious lack of suitable wit for simple tasks, he gave her a narrow eyed look and calmly continued. "Are busy attending to our business at the other estate. Take Kanna there. Let us continue our endeavor another time. It is useless to _play_ with these vermin any longer for now." Though as he said 'vermin' his gaze smoldered on the older miko's flesh.

"If you're finished with your damn meeting!" Obviously the hanyou didn't like being taken lightly as an opponent and punctuated this sentence with a healthy, though wide and easily predictable, swing. Needless to say, the demon robed in the purple of a great house, easily leaped out of the way of the path of destruction and sneered at him maliciously. "And leave the human slave. He is of no use to us dead. He served his purpose."

This earned an arrow and another attempted sword hit which he dodged again. And with a quick "Pathetic", he was gone.

Saira was busy panicking at this time, too worried to even look at their logic-defying visitors and followed Myike.

_It's some kind of magical wound. It CAN'T be normal. It has to be sealed. _

The boy was panting now, staring at the hand that had swallowed a tree. Waving a hand in front of his face, desperate to snap him out of his shock she began a verbal brainstorm. "Sealing beads! Do you have any? Let me see your bag."

When he was unresponsive, grabbing the pouch normally strapped to his back from him, she quickly rifled through it ignoring the slight stings of the lightning beads, which were unaccustomed to her energy. Not finding anything useful she lightly smacked him for only bringing weapons before her eyes lit on her own sealing necklace.

She knew it was doubtful she could change its pattern of only twelve hours of sealing, but if she could somehow alter it enough that he could be mobile, they could find a way to get out of this accursed place and seal it properly. Of course, what she was attempting was extremely dangerous _and _she ran the risk of blowing his entire arm off (she shuddered reminded of that horse incident) but Myike seemed to be in some type of shock. She had to break him out of it and close up that _thing_ before it could get any worse.

She picked up the carved stone beads and concentrated, praying to all the gods that this would work. It would take a lot of energy to even attempt and she would NEVER forgive herself if anything happened to the spoiled brat. It would be all her fault. All because of her thrice-damned youkai blood. What was this, the third time he had been hurt because of her already? They'd only been gone for one moon!

The demon-girl closed her eyes tightly and concentrated on the necklace and limiting its' power over the body. She was messing it up for herself, but it didn't matter, as long as it would help him survive without sucking half the countryside into his arm. She felt her mixed energy and began to see it through her tightly shuttered lids, blue, draining out of her like water leaving her feeling as weak as she had when she had passed out only minutes before. Funny, it felt like months now.

Tremblingly she opened her eyes, took hold of part of her white miko garb, and began ripping the bottom into a strip to tie around his right hand. Taking the hand up, which had been taking in courtyard stones in the meantime, she held his dizzied gaze as she bandaged it up firmly, twisting the beads through the makeshift wrap only going completely around the wound when it was partially sealed.

Her own vision was getting foggy now. _I'm going to pass out_ again_? That hardly seems fair_.

When she decided she had done the best she could in her muddled state, having poured her remaining energy into trying to balance the energies in his arm and the conflicting ones in her seal, Saira let go of Myike's hand. It fell limply to his side as numb and useless as a lead one. Missing the warm energy pouring into the agonizing puncture snapped him out of his daze, though his eyes still shined dully.

Satisfied, Saira smiled weakly at him. She hardly ever truly smiled at him and at moments like this she almost looked beautiful. His breathing slowed to almost normal and Myike stared at her as she began to fall forward onto his chest.

"You didn't blow up." She said softly before the blackness overtook her again.


End file.
